


A Distant Storm

by TheBeardedOne



Series: Harry Of El [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Superman - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:01:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 37
Words: 77,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27761920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBeardedOne/pseuds/TheBeardedOne
Summary: The third year has begun and over the horizon, a storm builds ready to strike the Last Mage of Krypton.
Series: Harry Of El [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2030536
Kudos: 24





	1. What Has Gone Before

**Part One**

_The Kryptonian Scientist Jor-El, having discovered that his homeworld was about to undergo a cataclysmic disaster that would destroy all life on it, chose to send his only child to a distant planet to save his life._

_Escaping the destruction of Krypton, the young Kal-El landed outside the family home of the Potters, where he was taken in by James Potter and blood-adopted, replacing the stillborn Harry Potter and being given his name. Lily Potter was unaware of the substitution thanks to a memory charm placed on her by James and apart from Sirius Black, who had opened the transport pod and provided the ritual required for the adoption, no-one else knew that the baby was anything other than the trueborn son of James and Lily._

_The next upheaval in his life came a bit over a year later when the magical terrorist, the self-proclaimed Lord Voldemort, heard part of a prophecy which he interpreted to mean that Harry was prophesised to defeat him. Seeking to break the prophecy, he managed to track the Potter family down, despite the secrecy charms protecting them, and proceeded to kill both James and Lily Potter. However, his efforts came to naught when he attempted to slay young Harry and his magic backlashed, destroying his body and causing his spirit to flee._

_Placed with his relatives on his mother's side, Harry grew up unloved and effectively ignored. His cousin tried to bully him, but Harry's Kryptonian heritage proved to be a potent counter and with only a few demonstrations of his inhuman strength and toughness, Harry and the Dursleys reached an agreement, limiting their interactions to the bare minimum required while Harry raised money for himself by working as a paperboy for a local newsagent._

_The status quo was shattered on the day that Harry's Hogwarts Letter arrived and Harry, not knowing of his heritage or inheritance, wrote back to say that he did not believe that he could afford to attend. In response, the half-goblin Charms Teacher Filius Flitwick set out to help Harry claim that which legally belonged to him and prepare for his years at Hogwarts._

_During his introduction to the Magical World, Harry arranged to be emancipated, an act which shattered the protective wards around his former home. Alerted to the removal of the protections he had put in place a decade prior, Albus Dumbledore traveled to Little Whinging where he discovered that the assumptions that he had made about the Dursleys taking Harry in as a member of their family had been in error, a mistake compounded by the fact that the Dursleys had not known (or been able to collect) the stipend intended to offset the increased household costs. To make amends, Albus arranged for the entirety of the planned stipend to be delivered to the Dursleys, who promptly used it to move to a new home, one without the memories of their unwanted guest._

_For Harry, life was looking up. He had located the site of his family's home (prior to it being burned down) and arranged for it to be rebuilt, but he also discovered something else. In a secret basement was the rocket ship that had brought him to Earth, a rocket ship containing an AI based on his father. After learning about his true origins, Harry concealed the rocket ship and prepared to go to Hogwarts._

_At Hogwarts, Harry was sorted into Ravenclaw along with his two newest friends, Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom. Together, they began their education in the ways of magic, aiding each other whenever they could and eventually offering help to others via a study group._

_Harry and Hermione's friendship was cemented firmly after Harry rescued her from a Troll at Halloween. Although Harry used his more-than-human abilities to take down the Troll, Hermione finally decided that it had to have been a form of on-purpose accidental-magic, a conclusion that Harry happily went along with._

_One of the ripples of the Troll incident was that Harry was allowed to try out for the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team (after three of the former players had been officially stripped of their positions), earning the position of Keeper. After his first match, his reputation for being able to block every single attempt at scoring spread throughout Hogwarts and beyond. Despite his abilities, though, it was Gryffindor that managed to secure the Quidditch Trophy._

_Harry also discovered that a magical relic had been hidden in Hogwarts and soon had a fairly good idea of the obstacles protecting it. This proved useful when Hermione was dragged into the gauntlet by the spirit of Voldemort and its host, Harry was able to race through the challenges, almost without slowing, and defeat the Dark Lord with an uppercut that sent his borrowed body into the ceiling._

_Due to being knocked out by Voldemort after she had failed to procure the Stone for him, Hermione did not remember much of what had occurred while Neville had been hit by an Obliviate that ensured that he didn't even know that Hermione had been in any danger._

_To Harry's surprise, Hermione_ had _managed to retrieve the Philosopher's Stone and had concealed it from Voldemort. After she contacted the creator of the Stone, Nicholas Flamel, she received word that it was an enchanted fake and instructions on how to break the spells on it, leaving her with a lump of Mithril._

_After the end of the first Hogwarts year, Harry returned to the Pottery, where the AI Jor-El was waiting to greet him, having rebuilt the mansion to incorporate concealed Kryptonian technologies._

_However, the Wizarding World was still holding many surprises for the young Kryptonian…_

_._

**Part Two**

_With his ancestral family home not only rebuilt but augmented with Kryptonian technology, Harry made his entry into the political landscape with a summer ball during which he and his friend Neville Longbottom celebrated their birthdays. Soon after, it was time to head to Hogwarts, but his preparations were briefly interrupted by the appearance of a House Elf who warned him that he should not go due to a great danger._

_Ignoring the warning, Harry took the Floo to platform Nine and Three Quarters, only for_ something _to redirect him to another country. Fortunately, his Kryptonian AI Jor-El had finished constructing a stealth-capable shuttle which was promptly put into service to get Harry to Hogwarts._

_At the sorting feast, Hermione's two pen-pals joined her in Ravenclaw. Although Luna Lovegood was expected to join the House of Wit, Ginny Weasley came as a surprise to all, especially her family._

_The new DADA teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart, proved to be spectacularly incompetent and Harry called him out on it. Using Kryptonian technology to learn the magics of his ancestors, Harry was able to defeat Lockhart in a public duel, forcing him to resign and be replaced by Narcissa Malfoy who proved to be a superior teacher._

_Proving herself very capable on a broom, Ginny joined the Ravenclaw Quidditch team as a Chaser._

_After Halloween, Harry encountered a Basilisk, which he knocked out with a single punch before having Jor-El transport it to the Pottery. Once free of the control spells, the Basilisk accepted Harry's offer of a home, regular meals and conversation in exchange for helping to protect the Pottery and its grounds. The fragment of Voldemort that had been controlling the Basilisk (via possession of Luna Lovegood) was discovered and destroyed. Although affected by the experience, Luna soon recovered with the help of her friendsand even joined them in becoming Animagi._

_However, Voldemort was not gone and another one of his Horcruxes allowed him to possess Lockhart. using his new body, Voldemort set a number of plans in motion, reaching out for new allies amongst the Vampires and Giants and striking down Igor Karkaroff, a former Death Eater who had betrayed him and moved to Bulgaria. Using the fact that very few knew that he had returned, Voldemort was able to access the Hall of Prophecies and gain full knowledge of the prophecy that Sybil Trelawny had made many years prior._

_Around the time that Voldemort infiltrated the Ministry of Magic, harry discovered that his Godfather had been unjustly imprisoned. Using the laws of the Magical World, he had his Godfather publicly tried (with Veritaserum), during which Sirius Black proved that he was innocent and that it had been Peter Pettigrew who had betrayed the Potters. With his animagus form publicly revealed, Pettigrew was forced to flee to Voldemort's side._

_Using a Vanishing Cabinet to bypass the wards, Voldemort had Harry kidnapped from Hogwarts and after binding him in magic-dampening manacles to prevent him from being able to use his wand, he prepared to kill Harry in front of all his followers. However, Harry was able to use his wandless Kryptonian magic to create a null-magic field around Voldemort and his followers, following it up by using his heritage to break the chains binding him and escape was aided by a well-timed rescue party consisting of an axe-wielding Filius Flitwick,a gun-firing Remus Lupin and the Animagi Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, Ginny Weasley and Sirius Black. While Albus Dumbledore was also present, the field that prevented external magic-use meant that he could only observe as the Death Eaters and their Allies were struck down._

_Only a few of the Death Eaters managed to escape. Severus Snape (who was secretly working for Dumbledore) transformed into a bird to escape while Peter Pettigrew used small tunnels he had created on a_ just in case _basis to flee. Lucius Malfoy didn't have a chance as he was killed when Voldemort dodged a fragment of metal thrown by Harry. While Voldemort managed to dodge, Lucius did not and the metal pierced both his mask and his skull. Despite his early escape, Voldemort did not survive for long as Harry used his own Animagi form to kill him._

_With the excitement behind them, Harry and his friends returned to Hogwarts to recover. When the year ended, Harry learned that Severus Snape and the NEWT-level students he was teaching had managed something thought impossible, a potion that would turn a Werewolf into a Wolf Animagus. Remus Lupin was the first to undergo the procedure and prove that it worked._

_Although things seemed settled, one of Harry's enemies had come into possession of yet another of Voldemort's Horcruxes…_


	2. Hour Of The Wolves

The hands gripping the paper were white. Not the normal pinkish-white that is the general skin-color associated with that term, but the white that comes from the hands being tensed so tightly that the bloodflow is restricted.

The face of the person reading the paper was also white, but the reason this time was pure, unadulterated rage. The white skin contrasted quite spectacularly with the pink clothing that the person was wearing as the individual in question glared at the headline story of the Daily Prophet.

**Werewolves! Where-Wolves? There-Wolves!  
** **Potion Cures Werewolf Disease!**

_By Rita Skeeter_

_Yes, ladies and gentlewizards, you read that headline correctly!  
_ _The famed Potions Master and incredibly handsome Hogwarts  
_ _Teacher Severus Snape has overseen the development of a new  
_ _potion that transforms the Werewolf Curse into a blessing! The  
_ _person taking it ceases to be a cursed beast and instead gains a  
_ _new ability, that of being a Wolf Animagus!_

_Over the last month, no less than sixty-seven of those who had  
_ _been afflicted with that heartbreaking curse have regained their  
_ _humanity and registered as official Animagi. With their newfound  
_ _skills recognized and proven beyond all doubt, these newly-freed  
_ _individuals have returned to the Magical World as productive and  
_ _happy citizens. Over half of them have been snapped up as new  
_ _recruits by the DMLE who are eager to make use of the animagi  
_ _who have re-entered our society._

_When questioned, Severus Snape declared that the money that  
_ _several of the former werewolves had given him would be going  
_ _into Hogwarts' coffers since much of the work had been done by  
_ _his students under his direction. In a related note, the number of  
_ _Potions Students achieving an EE or O in their OWLs has been the  
_ _highest in ten years, something that Professor Snape attributes to  
_ _the quality of the students in question and the efforts of Assistant  
_ _Teacher/Potionsmistress Andromeda Tonks (nee Black)._

_The first werewolf to undergo the process of converting the curse  
_ _into the animagi skill was Remus Lupin, the Majordomo and best  
_ _friend of Lord Sirius Black. In a statement, Remus Lupin declared  
_ _that Professor Snape was undoubtedly the greatest Potioneer he  
_ _had ever met and that he was honored that Professor Snape had  
_ _chosen to donate his time to a project that many people would not  
_ _see as being of any use to the Wizarding World, but which has had  
_ _an incredible effect on those for whom it has been offered to…_

Dolores Umbridge ripped the paper to shreds with a sound midway between a scream and a growl. As the pieces of paper fluttered down, she grabbed her wand and ignited them, then Vanished the ashes. Panting harshly, she slowly slid her wand back into its belt-holster and readjusted her pink cardigan to cover it.

Rising to her feet, she stomped to the fireplace and grabbed some of the Floo Powder from its bowl.

"Ministry of Magic!" She snarled, then she strode into the green flames, her face set in a rictus of hate.

* * *

.

"Incredibly handsome?" Sirius snorted as he re-read the paper. "Snape?"

"You really shouldn't say such things." Remus gently scolded his best friend. "Sure, his hair is rather greasy and he has a beak of a nose, but compared to what he's _done_?"

"I know. I know." Sirius sighed. "Shame Lucy was the one to upgrade his potions lab before Mouldyshorts tried to do his comeback. If he hadn't, I'd do it to try and… and reward him. I never thought I'd say that."

"Blame your godson." Remus chuckled. "He's been changing things ever since he returned to the Wizarding World. Do you really think that after he got you out of Azkaban and took down Voldie and his Death Nibblers, he'd stop there?"

Sirius sighed. "No. Damn it, Moony! Everything's changing… and I think I'm changing too."

"You are starting to think things through more." Remus commented. "In fact, you may actually be… no. It couldn't be, could it? It might be… Uh-oh."

Sirius froze. "What?"

"No, you don't want to hear it." Remus said as he heard footsteps approaching.

"Moony… what. Is. Happening. To. Me?" Sirius growled.

"I think you… that you are…" Remus teased Sirius as Harry appeared in the doorway. "I'm sorry, Padfoot. There's no other way to say it. You're…"

Sirius paled, staring at Remus.

"Finally growing up!"

Sirius gaped at Remus, then almost collapsed into his chair.

"You complete and utter _bastard_!" He choked as Remus grinned and Harry frantically muffled his laughter. "You had me so damned panicked… You know I'll get you back for that, right?"

"I think that was him getting you for the Trifle Trick last week." Harry laughed and Sirius half-turned.

"Hey, pup. The Trifle… okay, you might be right about that. Okay Moony, you're off the hook. So, what brings you to my humble abode?"

* * *

.

"Dolores… what is the meaning of this?" Cornelius Fudge inquired as he looked at the piece of parchment in front of him.

"Sir… have you read this morning's Prophet?" Dolores asked and Fudge nodded.

"Indeed. Severus Snape is to be rewarded, he's removed one of the greater threats to Wizarding life. We'll never have to fear the rise of another like Fenris Greyback, no longer will we need worry about a child being bitten by a werewolf or having the Muggles witnessing one transform, thus putting the Statute at risk. Besides, Amelia has already explained to me how having wolf animagi on the force is helping her out immensely."

"But… they were _werewolves_!" Dolores protested. "Dark creatures! No better than half-breeds!"

"And now they're _taxpayers_." Fudge countered. "Taxpayers and, once I give Professor Snape his due reward, _loyal_ taxpayers. Why, did you know that the Shafiq family have already asked for Professor Snape to receive the Order of Merlin (third class) since his potion has allowed their little girl Jinelle to accept her invitation to Hogwarts this year rather than having to live in near-exile thanks to Greyback biting her three years ago?"

Dolores froze. "The… Shafiq family… approve?"

"Indeed." Fudge said almost genially. "Lionel Shafiq told me that had they an unattached female of the right age, they would even now be offering her hand in marriage to Professor Snape."

Dolores stood motionless, her eyes gazing blankly at the wall behind Fudge. For a long moment, the office remained silent, then Fudge pulled out his wand and tapped it against the parchment, causing it to vanish.

"Dolores, because you have been such a good assistant all these years, I will not hold this against you, but you will not take any action against those who were once werewolves. Is that understood?"

Dolores nodded jerkily.

"Excellent. Now, I am sure you have some work to catch up on."

Dolores nodded again and left the office, leaving Fudge gazing contemplatively at the door.

"What other things have you done over the years that I have missed?" He wondered quietly. "And how many were at Lucius' behest?"

The silence of his office was his only answer.

* * *

.

The sound of someone sitting down opposite him caused the man reading the paper to lower it slightly, allowing him to look over the top of it. Opposite him was a short figure clad in a deeply-hooded cloak which left only the lower portion of his jaw in the light.

A jaw that he recognized.

"Good afternoon." The man said politely as he folded the paper and tucked it under his arm. "I assume you have a place we should be?"

The figure nodded and rose from his seat, the man following him after leaving a couple of coins on the table to pay for the meal that he had consumed. In silence, the two of them stepped out into the courtyard behind the Leaky Cauldron, then the shorter figure held out a hand with a ruler in it. When the man took hold, they vanished in a swirl of magic.

.

The two figures reappeared and the shorter one pulled his hood back, revealing platinum-blond hair while the taller man dispelled the glamor that had given him silvering-brown hair, allowing it to return to its theoretically-natural color of black.

"Lord Voldemort, welcome back." The shorter of the two said formally. "I am pleased to see that it worked."

"It was rather disconcerting at first, finding myself in a woman's body, but I coped." Voldemort agreed, lifting his hand to admire the ring adorning it. "I read the letter you sent her, Draco. You have a true gift for persuasion. I found myself extremely impressed."

"Thank you, My Lord." Draco replied.

"I must ask, though, is there a reason why you brought me here and not to your Manor?"

Draco winced. "After Potter killed my father, Mother had the wards re-cast."

"Sounds expensive." Voldemort mused.

"Lord Black paid for it. He also brought us back into the Black Family, although I will still be able to claim my father's title when I come of age."

"So you are now in line to inherit the Black Lordship once again?" Voldemort probed and Draco shook his head.

"No. Since I will claim the Malfoy title upon reaching maturity, the Black Lordship will go to either my cousin, Nymphadora Tonks, or to Potter when Lord Black dies. Apparently spending over five years in Azkaban causes sterility, so Black won't be fathering any children."

"How unfortunate for him." Voldemort commiserated as Draco reached out to open the door of Lucius Malfoy's Private Retreat. "How long was I formless for this time? After all, time does odd things when you do not have a body to stabilize you."

"Only a couple of months, my Lord." Draco supplied as they entered the small-but-well-appointed cottage. "However, a great deal has happened."

"I read about it in the paper." Voldemort agreed. "Odd, though. There wasn't any mention of Potter being an Animagus."

Draco froze. "…what?"

"Potter is an Animagus." Voldemort repeated with a slight smirk as he put his paper down on a nearby side-table. "He turns into a white dog."

Draco smirked. "Interesting. It would seem that _Saint_ Potter has been following in his godfather's footsteps."

"And while I have no proof, I do believe that his friend Longbottom is one as well." Voldemort added. "A bear, no less, with a patch of golden fur on its chest."

"Promising, my Lord." Draco mused.

"Maybe." Voldemort corrected him. "But to be an Animagus so young… it is a path that I ignored, but I now see I was mistaken. With his ability to prevent the use of wands and how his technique disenchants magical objects, the Animagus ability suddenly comes into its own as a means of battle. After all, the strengths of an animal with the intellect of a human is a combination that is truly superior when magic itself is no longer available. I must therefore arm myself accordingly before I face him again."

Draco shifted slightly and Voldemort patted him on his shoulder. "Oh, do not worry. Once I have found a method which works and works well, you will be the first whom I shall teach. Soon, all those loyal to me shall be Animagi too and no ward will be able to stop us."

"Speaking of Animagi, Peter Pettigrew has vanished." Draco noted and Voldemort nodded.

"That is no surprise. Pettigrew is a coward and one who always has a plan to help him escape. While not an admirable trait under most circumstances, it does mean that I can count on him to survive and thus remain useful to me even after things go in unplanned directions. No, I know how to find him and find him I will. He will be very useful to me on my journeys."

"And Snape, my Lord?"

"Snape… yes." Voldemort half-growled. "I used to think he was indeed loyal to me and me alone, but now… I am uncertain."

"Should I remove him?" Draco suggested and Voldemort laughed harshly.

"Snape is too cunning, too cautious and too clever for you to be able to defeat him at this time." Voldemort finally stated. "No, Draco. Your task is simple. Observe. Battles may be fought and won with wands and spells, but _wars_ are fought and won with _information_. And when we stride forth once more to rebuild society as it should be, it will be with all the information that we could possibly require. And part of that information will be the true loyalties of Severus Snape!"

"Yes, my Lord!"

"Now come and let us discuss our plans."

Behind them, the paper fluttered in the breeze from the still-open door, coming to rest on a page that held a story in one corner.

**Ex-Minister Still Missing**

_By Melanie Flitterwicket_

_The current whereabouts of Millicent Bagnold, former Minister of Magic  
_ _remains unknown. Bagnold vanished without a trace after having a meal  
_ _in the Leaky Cauldron._

_Millicent Bagnold barely escaped being sentenced to Azkaban for her role  
_ _in the wrongful imprisonment of Lord Sirius Black, a decision which was  
_ _revealed by_ The Boy Who Lived _, Harry Potter…_


	3. Longbottom Manor

"Hey, Harry." Neville greeted the young Lord Potter, ignoring how Harry was sprawled half-over a toppled couch after being ejected from the Floo at a remarkably high velocity.

"Nev." Harry groaned as he slowly disentangled himself, then shifted the couch back upright, ignoring the fact that its solid weight normally required two adults to shift (or the application of magic). "Good thing no-one was in the way, it could have been messy."

"He warned us to keep to one side." Frank Longbottom laughed from where he and his wife were sitting. Alice Longbottom didn't say anything, but her eyes danced with poorly-concealed amusement. "I didn't believe him, but… that was quite an entrance."

"Magical transport and me don't go well together." Harry admitted as he brushed himself off. "Floo acts like a catapult, Portkeys make me dizzy and I can never stay on my feet at the end, Apparition makes me feel ill..."

"You can use my wardrobe when it's time for you to go home if you want." Neville offered. "So, welcome to Longbottom Manor."

Harry took advantage of Neville's comment to look round at the room he had (quite literally) crashed into. Large moving pictures hung on the walls and the furniture had the weathered look that only manifests after a century or more of usage.

"Quite a place." He admitted and Neville grinned.

"Once we've got all the official greetings out of the way, I'll give you a quick tour. Miss Warbeck's eager to say hello again."

"Celestina's here?" Harry asked and Alice nodded.

"She's providing the entertainment for this evening." She smiled.

"Wow." Harry breathed, then he smiled wryly. "If Lucius Malfoy was still alive, seeing her perform here would have caused him to keel over with sheer envy."

The three Longbottoms nodded in amused agreement and Harry tilted his head slightly.

"Out of interest, who else can I expect to see here?"

"We've invited the Grangers, they should be arriving soon and we've prepared a suite for them." Frank chuckled. "Professor Flitwick will be coming as well, his observations are always amusing. Albus is coming and so is Minister Fudge, although his Undersecretary _won't_ be. We've also invited Lord Black and his Seneschal, several members of the Wizengamot, some old friends and their families… and Rita Skeeter."

"Lesser of two evils." Alice sighed. "This way, we can try to keep her distracted and give her a few quotes for the Prophet. If we _didn't_ invite her…"

"She'd get in anyway and twist everything into a scandal." Frank finished. "How she gets through wards, I have no idea."

Harry and Neville looked at each other and neither needed Legilimancy to know what the other was thinking.

"Could she be an Animagus?" Neville asked, causing his parents to stiffen in shock.

"That… would explain a lot." Alice finally managed. "Maybe we should check the registry, see if she registered…"

"My godfather didn't…. at least until I got him released from Azkaban." Harry pointed out. "Neither did my dad."

"Nor has Neville." Frank added and Neville shrugged as Harry gave him a questioning look.

"They found me _hanging around_ in one of our greenhouses." He explained almost bashfully, then he grinned. "But Gran's face when I showed her afterwards… I've never seen her look so startled! Fortunately, you don't legally _have_ to register until you come of Age. I think it's because the assumption is that unless you've done your NEWTS, you don't have the ability to become an Animagus."

"I've registered." Harry admitted, then he grinned. "It was at the same time as about thirty of the former Werewolves, including Remus. The Registry Officer was so overworked, he was just throwing out forms at people and telling them to fill them out themselves. I think it was the most work he's had to do in decades."

"Who _is_ the Registry Officer?" Alice asked curiously.

"I didn't catch his first name, but his surname was Thistlewhaite."

Both adults nodded in recognition.

"Probably Krystopher." Frank noted. "He was taking his NEWTs when I entered Hogwarts, he was held up as an example of how _not_ to study, always trying to find shortcuts or ways to avoid working. If not for his family connections, he'd be unemployed… and unemployable. Since so few people _become_ Animagi… I can see why he ended up there. Not much to do and not much to screw up…. _normally_."

"I wonder how long before he gets in trouble for not recording the animagical signatures." Alice mused, then she looked round. "What? Knowing how that department works is part of the training to be an Auror."

"She's right." Frank nodded. "According to Uncle Croaker, the Wards around the Ministry get tweaked every time a new Animagus is registered in order to ensure that the person in question can't sneak in."

"So suddenly there's thirty Animagi who the Wards won't stop… and they're registered, so they can't be prosecuted?" Harry snickered. "Nice!"

The Floo flared and several people stepped out in quick succession. As they paused to brush off the small bits of soot still clinging to them, Frank and Alice rose from their settee to approach the newcomers.

"Lord Shafiq, Lady Shafiq, welcome to Longbottom Manor." Frank offered his hand and Lord Shafiq took it with a smile. "And these must be your son and daughter."

.

"Ah, Filius." Albus smiled as the diminutive Professor entered his office. "Ready to depart?"

"Looking forwards to it." Filius nodded. "While Alice and Frank were Lions, they were both excellent students back then. Either one could have fitted almost seamlessly in my House."

"And I did almost put them there." The Sorting Hat noted from his shelf. "Alice, anyway. Frank was rather more impulsive, so Sorting him was far easier."

"You'll be Sorting an Animagus this year." Albus noted and the Hat twitched.

"Really? Sounds like an instant Eagle to me."

"Not quite." Albus countered. "Young Miss Jinelle Shafiq was bitten by a werewolf three years ago. If not for Severus' skills, she would still be a Werewolf rather than a Wolf Animagi."

"Wolves are known for their loyalty to each other." Filius mused as Albus reached for the Floo Powder. "A Wolf as a Badger… quite an amusing thought."

"Quite so." Albus chuckled, throwing the powder into the fireplace. "Longbottom Manor!"

Albus vanished into the flames and Filius took a pinch of powder for himself.

"Longbottom Manor!" He declared and stepped through the flames, emerging with the perfect poise of an experienced duelist. "Ah, Heir Longbottom, thank you for inviting me. Lord Potter, I see you are well."

The two boys who had been waiting both smiled at their Head of House, but it was Neville who replied.

"Professor, as I just said to Headmaster Dumbledore, welcome to Longbottom Manor."

Filius looked around, noting the various portraits watching him curiously. "It's an honor to be here."

"It's an honor to _have_ you here, sir." Neville replied with a wide smile. "Harry, if you would?"

"Of course, Nev." Harry nodded. "This way, please."

Albus and Filius followed Harry out of the Floo room and as they did so, Harry caught the sound of the Floo flaring up as someone else stepped through and Neville's polite greeting.

" _Madam Skeeter, welcome to Longbottom Manor."_

"How has your summer gone, Lord Potter?" Albus asked as they headed towards the Main Ballroom where the main part of the gathering was taking place.

"Very well, so far." Harry said with a slight shrug. "I did all my homework in the first week and checked in with Gringotts to see how my companies were getting on."

"Companies?" Albus repeated curiously.

"I have a stake in a company that's helping to enhance Muggle communications." Harry explained. "They're still installing the required technology, but once enough switchboards have been replaced, video calls will be a reality… ummm, think a type of magical mirror that you can speak through and see the person at the other end."

"Most ingenious." Albus agreed. "But how do you find the time? Even with the occasional use of a Time Turner, holding the roles I do leaves me with precious few hours to call my own."

"Jor-El does most of the work for me." Harry admitted. "He communicates with them via phone and fax, but e-mail services are coming online, along with the computers designed for maximizing their use. He's also working on interfaces so that instead of just relying on the Floo and having to kneel down to talk, us magic-users will soon have the option of using telephones too, although a special prefix will be needed to connect to the non-magical telephone network and vice-versa."

"It may be a good idea to underplay that last but." Filius suggested. "In fact, I'd only mention it to muggleborn and those who want to stay in contact with their non-magical relatives."

"True." Harry agreed.

"If not for the map-tables and comm-stones you gifted us, I'd be asking for telephones in Hogwarts for the teachers." Albus admitted. "However… perhaps we could install a few so that our Muggleborn students can contact their families more often…"

"I'll see what I can do." Harry nodded. "Any idea where the phones would go?"

"I'll discuss it with the others tomorrow." Albus nodded to Augusta as she swept past them, receiving a nod of greeting in return. "Perhaps a small room off each common room and one off the teachers room… and one in the Infirmary."

"Wise choice." Filius agreed as they approached the door to the hall in which the gathering was taking place. "I've had to explain several times to parents why they were not informed about their child being hurt, having the ability to simply call them would be very useful."

.

Rita Skeeter gave Augusta Longbottom one of her sweetest smiles as the former Regent swept past on her way to the Floo room to greet the next arrival, then she turned her attention back to Neville.

"It'll be good to see Frank and Alice again… although it's a shame that they've decided not to resume their careers as Aurors. This country needs as many good Aurors as possible…"

"Bellatrix Lestrange hurt them severely and although St Mungo's did their best, my parents are still recovering, physically speaking, that is. Mentally, they are fully recovered." Neville replied to Rita's probing. "However, use of the _cruciatus_ curse to the degree that madwoman used it leaves permanent damage. Since all Aurors have to be physically capable of taking the field if required, my parents decided that the lingering damage to their bodies would put others at risk, should they not be able to protect themselves properly. Madam Bones agreed and said that acknowledging when one cannot do something shows far more courage than attempting it when you know you cannot succeed."

Rita looked slightly taken aback for a moment then her smile returned, its edge even more predatory than before.

"And what do you think about the recent demise of Bellatrix?"

"Relief, mainly." Neville admitted. "Now that someone has ended her existence, she won't be able to do to others what she did to my parents."

Rita _hmmmm_ 'd thoughtfully. "So, what _are_ they planning on doing now that they're back?"

* * *

.

**Statement At The Ball**

By Rita Skeeter

_Yesterday, Lord Longbottom and his beautiful wife Alice  
_ _hosted the Longbottom Ball which was attended by a  
_ _great many of the important members of the Wizarding  
_ _World._

_During the celebration, Frank Longbottom confirmed the  
_ _rumor that despite the physical trauma that he and his wife  
_ _suffered at the hands of the vile (and now very deceased)  
_ _Bellatrix Lestrange, they will not be abandoning the fight  
_ _against those who practise Dark Magic._

_Although no longer capable of taking the fight to the users  
_ _of forbidden magics, they will help to train those who stand  
_ _guard, the Hit-Wizards and Aurors whom we all admire.  
_ _Lord Longbottom's declaration was met with applause, the  
_ _Supreme Mugwump himself leading it…_


	4. Nurmengard

"Ahem."

The man at the desk froze as the voice spoke from behind him, then he rubbed his chin thoughtfully as his eyes narrowed in contemplation.

"My old friend Albus visited me last month and since he only visits once a year, I truly doubt that you are he." He stated slowly. "The guards are generally not nearly so polite as to announce their presence in this way and besides, their boots mean that I can hear them approaching as they climb the stairs on their daily visit, the last of which was almost two hours ago.  
"The House-elf who transports my food and clothing is under strict orders to not engage me in conversation and indeed, to ignore me completely while he is doing his tasks. The few remaining guard-golems do not have the ability to speak and even if they did, like their now-broken Commander, they would have a very metallic voice.  
"It is impossible to Apparate within half a mile of this fortress and the wards are specially designed to physically repel any living thing other than a human, meaning that Animagi cannot sneak through. Similar wards protect against Muggles. In addition, broomsticks cannot operate within the wards… actually, they can, but they are uncontrollable, causing their riders to crash almost at once.  
"There is no metaphysical chill, so you are not a Dementor. I remain unattacked, so you are not an Inferi. Your voice wasn't deep enough to be a giant and while I admit there is a minor possibility that you could have been a centaur, I am currently facing the only door to my cell and centaurs are too large to enter through the window, even assuming that they were somehow able to climb the sheer wall outside.  
"As you sound male, the chance of you being a Veela is minute and a Goblin would have interrupted me by now.  
"I admit, I am at a loss."

The man slowly turned round, his wrinkled face coming into view and his eyes widened slightly as he saw the dark-haired handsome man leaning against the wall just by the window.

"Well… hello."

"Good afternoon, Mr Grindlewald." The man replied, straightening up and bowing slightly. "I do hope I have not come at a bad time?"

"Not at all and please, call me Gellert." The man smiled, his eyes taking in the way that the carefully-tailored robe was tight enough to emphasize his visitor's nearly-perfect body. "And whom might you be, if you would be so kind as to enlighten an old man?"

"I have many names. Like you, I am known to the unwashed masses as a Dark Lord."

"Voldemort." Gellert realized, earning a nod of confirmation. "I am surprised to see you here. I had heard that you had gone insane, then died."

"That is true… from a certain point of view." Voldemort agreed. "My research was not as complete as it should have been and I overlooked the downsides of creating multiple Horcruxes."

Gellert winced and Voldemort chuckled.

"Fortunately, I chanced upon a way to regain the sanity that I had lost. Looking back, I must say that although insanity allows one to come up with unanticipated plans, tactics and even spells, it does have a very distressing effect on ones ability to calculate odds and predict opponents. I would not recommend it."

Gellert chuckled at the deadpan tone of the comment, then he leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers.

"So, Tom… yes, Albus did tell me all about you. Why are you here? Do you seek the wand that I once held?"

Voldemort shook his head. "No. Oh, owning the Elder Wand would certainly be quite useful, but I have deduced its location. It resides in the hand of the man who defeated you and who led Britain against me. Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore."

"So why _are_ you here?" Gellert probed.

"You once had a dream, a dream where we Magicals would rule over the Muggles, directing them, commanding them and thus assuming what you once claimed to be our rightful position. No longer hiding in the corners and slinking through the shadows, but instead striding across the lands as benevolent rulers… and as their gods. Do you still dream of this?"

Gellert leaned forwards, his eyes almost burning with intensity. "More than ever!"

Voldemort smiled as he pulled out a familiar-looking wand and tossed it to Gellert. "I have an offer. Accept or decline as you will, either one suits my purposes. You are growing old and do not have much time left. Will you join forces with me? Will you teach me that which I have yet to learn? Will you decide to stride forth with me as we summon those who can see the bright future that we, working together can bring to fruition, first in the United Kingdom, then Europe, America, Asia and the world?"

"And, if I refuse?" Gellert asked, turning the wand over in his hands.

"Then I shall simply leave. The guards are asleep, a potion introduced to their food has them sleeping and it will be three days before they awake. The elf is also asleep. I have an ally stood by the Wardstone and at my signal, he will destroy it. Once that is done, you will have full use of your magic and you will be able to leave… in the knowledge that your old friend will know instantly that the Wards are no more and thus will seek you out once more and this time, _this_ time he has the wand and your old allies will not be there for you."

"And so I will be nothing more than a distraction, causing my old friend to concentrate on returning me here while you continue to place your plans in motion, unencumbered by his presence." Geller deduced with a faint smile of approval on his face. "Very clever."

Voldemort smiled, but didn't answer and Gellert reached behind him to pick up a quill, using his wand to transfigure it into a belt-holster.

"I think I _shall_ go with you." Gellert finally decided as he fastened the holster to his robe and slid his wand into it. "I must ask, though, have you ever heard of something called an _Obscurial_?"

"…no, I have not." Voldemort admitted as he pulled a key out of his pocket and strode to the cell door. "Please, enlighten me."

* * *

.

"How do I look?" Gellert asked as he tweaked the collar of his ruffled shirt slightly, then strode forwards in a way that allowed his over-robe to flutter like a cloak. The effect was enhanced by the walking stick which those who had experience in wandlore would have recognized as a Mages Staff.

"Dignified." Voldemort replied as he glanced up from the table of magical objects that he was perusing. "I must say, I am impressed that your spells kept this hideaway so well preserved."

"After my misadventures in America, thanks in no small part to interfering busybody Newt Scamander, I decided that having fallback plans was not so much an indulgence as a _necessity_." Gellert sighed as he moved around to table to stand by Voldemort's side. "This is one of several hideouts I constructed, although it is the largest and best equipped."

A squeaking sound interrupted them and both men turned to look at the door where Peter Pettigrew (clad in a fairly sharp suit) was wheeling in a trolley on which a tea set and a plate of cakes was arranged.

"Thank you, Peter." Voldemort said as Peter brought the trolley to a stop beside the table and began transferring the contents onto a clear space on the table.

Peter bowed nervously, his wide eyes darting to where Gellert was watching him with an amused expression, then finished moving the food across before skittering out of the room.

"Why do you use him?" Gellert asked as Voldemort started to pour tea for them.

"Peter? He's an Animagus who swore himself into my service years ago." Voldemort explained, handing the first teacup across to Gellert. "After that unfortunate incident where Potter somehow prevented the use of magic, save for the purely internal ones such as the Animagi skill, I have had him teaching me how to attain an Animagi form of my own as well as researching how other nationalities such as the Africans do it. Are you interested in attaining another form?"

"It sounds like it could be challenging." Gellert mused. "I'm in."

"The method he and his former friends used required a high degree of skill in Occlumancy." Voldemort pointed out and Gellert smiled.

"I had very little to do in my cell other than learn and think. My Occlumancy skills have never been sharper."

"In that case, perhaps you can help me brew the potion that they created to aid them in attaining their forms?"

"It would be a pleasure."

* * *

.

"So, where are we planning to go first?" Gellert asked as he placed the fuming cauldron under a stasis charm in preparation for moving it.

"From what you have told me about _Obscurials_ , I believe that America would be the best place to start once I retrieve one of my followers who will prove very useful." Voldemort replied, earning a slightly-puzzled look from the older wizard.

"America? I know that I once found an _Obscurial_ there, but why do you think it would be a good place to begin? After all, they now know the signs…"

"Indeed they do, my learned friend, but they also have a very high number of religious Muggles who hate everything magical. I believe that they call it the _Bible Belt_. Did you know, recently one Muggle woman beat her nephew to death with a rock just because he read a book which had references to magic in it? With that sort of attitude…"

"Muggleborns would hide their ability to perform magic, try to conceal or deny it." Gellert realized.

"It's quite possible that it's why so many so-called tornadoes hit the areas known as trailer parks." Voldemort smirked as he watched his bookshelves neatly fold up and shrink into a small box that he picked up and slid into a pocket. "When you combine intolerance, lack of education, a fear of anything that could possibly be seen as different… and parents who either do not care for their offspring or have no idea how to raise them…"

"A perfect set of circumstances for the formation of an _Obscurial_." Gellert nodded to show that he followed Voldemort's logic.

"Indeed. However, actually _finding_ one could be tricky."

"On the contrary." Gellert interjected as a wave of his wand sent his clothes streaming from his bedroom into one of the muggle-styled expanded suitcases. "I have developed a set of spells that should help us pinpoint _Obscurials_ , both when active and when passive. Although their chaotic nature prevents them from being detected _directly_ by magic, their passage leaves a certain trail and can be tracked. All I need to do is assemble the device that will focus the spells."

"Impressive." Voldemort smiled.

"…my lords?"

Both men paused, then turned to the doorway where Peter was cringing, holding a folded paper in his hands as if it were about to explode.

"Ah, Peter. Did you manage to confirm that he is indeed there?"

Peter nodded, then he slowly extended the folded paper. Voldemort plucked it from his fingers, then waved for Peter to depart as he unfolded it.

"Hmm. Good thing that we were preparing to leave. I wasn't expecting this to happen until tomorrow…"

"Someone found the guards." Gellert deduced and Voldemort nodded.

"Indeed. Pure happenstance, one of them hadn't fully paid his subscription to _Die Nachrichten der Magier_ and the owl sent to him flew back without payment, alerting the paper to the fact that something was wrong. They contacted the Aurors and sent a couple of reporters… and your old friend went in with them."

"Good thing we reset all the alarms and Wards before we left." Gellert smirked. "They'll never figure out how I escaped."

"Leaving a sketched map of China was a masterstroke." Voldemort agreed as he continued reading. "It looks like it worked. They're setting up magical blockades on the border between Europe and Asia, hoping to catch you."

Both Dark Lords exchanged predatorial grins while several rooms away, Peter Pettigrew finished his packing and moved to the desk where he picked up the quill and started re-checking the sketched plans of the place where the head of the Department of International Co-operation lived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reference to a woman killing her nephew for reading a fantasy book has its basis in fact. In America. a woman did indeed use a stone to beat her nephew to death after finding him reading a fantasy book. In court, she claimed that as he was reading a book about magic, he was a witch and that the bible said "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live".
> 
> To make matters worse, that sentence is a mistranslation, a more accurate version is "Thou shalt not suffer a caster of evil spells to live", although some sources indicate that the original meaning may have been "Thou shalt not suffer a poisoner to live". One wonders how many people have been killed over the centuries because the translators screwed up…


	5. Precautions

" _Sir, Madam Bones wishes to enter to speak with you on an urgent matter."_

Harry paused mid-kata. "Did she say what it was about?"

" _No, sir, but she was_ very _insistent that you listen to her."_

Harry abandoned his martial-arts practice and strode to the edge of the mats. Pausing to bow to the symbol of the Zod Clan (who had created the martial art he was still learning), he stepped off the tatami and started to make his way to the library.

"Let her through, Jor-El. Have one of the elves offer her refreshment and escort her to the library."

" _As you command, sir."_

Harry walked to the library and entered to find Gilligan finishing setting up a tea-set on the table.

"Madam Bones is being escorted by Herriet, Lord Potter." He stated and Harry nodded.

"Thank you, Gilligan."

The House-elf beamed, then vanished as the main library door swung open.

"Madam Bones, Lord Potter." Herriet introduced the guest, then stepped aside to let Amelia Bones sweep into the library.

"Lord Potter." She said with a nod of respect.

"Director Bones." Harry replied, noting that she was in her full Auror regalia, indicating that she was visiting him on official business. "Please, be seated. May I offer you some tea?"

"Thank you, Lord Potter." Amelia responded with a slight smile, lowering herself into the indicated chair. "Black with a slice of lemon, if you please. No sugar."

Harry took his own chair, then reached out and proceeded to pour the tea for Amelia and himself. Passing her cup over, he waited until Amelia took a sip.

"I assume that this is an important matter?" He noted and Amelia nodded.

"Have you seen today's Daily Prophet?"

"Jor-El?"

" _The main story is that the Dark Lord Grindelwald has escaped from his prison cell in Nurmengard."_ Jor-El supplied as his avatar materialized. _"Fingerprints found at the scene indicate that the person who liberated him was most likely Millicent Bagnold."_

Amelia's eyebrows shot up momentarily, then she nodded.

"An excellent summary, Jorel. Traces of rat-fur were also found near Nurmengard's Wardstone…"

"Peter Pettigrew?" Harry asked.

"Yes. His fingerprints were found as well. We believe that he has somehow managed to either place Bagnold under an Imperious, which is very unlikely given her willpower, or that he has persuaded her to join forces with him."

"And since she blames me for uncovering how she tried to lock Sirius away without a trial, thus losing most of her wealth, she's almost certainly looking to gain revenge on me. Right?"

"Correct, Lord Potter." Amelia sighed. "Due to her former position as Minister of Magic, Bagnold had access to almost every part of the Ministry, with the partial exception of the Department of Mysteries. She also served in the Floo Network Authority for half a decade early in her career…"

"Meaning that she might be able to sabotage the Floo if I try to use it." Harry finished. "Wouldn't be the first time that happened to me… long story and everything worked out fine. Fortunately, I have other methods of transport available."

"You do?" Amelia asked before she could stop herself. "Never mind. I probably don't need to know at this time. Can you reach platform 9 and ¾ without needing the Floo?"

"I can walk from the Leaky Cauldron." Harry offered and Amelia shook her head.

"No, the Ministry will provide a car for the journey and an Auror to act as an escort."

"Tonks?" Harry asked and Amelia shook her head, although she did smile.

" _Junior Auror_ Tonks isn't quite experienced enough for a mission of this importance. With your permission, I would like to assign Auror Shacklebolt to guard you… at least partially so you don't need to use that no-magic field thing you used a few months back."

"In my defense, it was something of a last-ditch defense given that I was facing the killing curse." Harry pointed out.

"Quite… anyway. Auror Shacklebolt is highly experienced in protection duties. He will be here in two hours time and if you decide to go out, whether to Diagon Alley or anywhere public, he will escort you for your own safety."

"Who are you assigning to guard Sirius?" Harry asked.

"Alternative measures have been arranged for Lord Black and Mr Lupin."

Harry blinked. "Alternative measures?"

* * *

.

"That's right, pup." Sirius grinned as he sprawled on the chair in the Floo room. "I had intended to oversee the renovation of Black Island, but I was persuaded otherwise. You see before you the most incredible and amazing _Defense Against The Dark Arts_ teacher for the coming year."

Harry turned his gaze to Remus, who nodded in confirmation.

"He's right, and I'll be there to help rein him in. Since Dumbledore will be aiding the international task-force being set up to capture Grindlewald, McGonogall will be acting as Interim Headmistress. I'll be there as Temporary Deputy Headmaster, dealing with the paperwork for her."

"He's good at paperwork." Sirius nodded sagely. "In addition, Jor-El's finished scanning the Black Library and now, I have instant access to all my books on this pad as well as suggested lesson plans that Jor-El retrieved and modified from the Kryptonian Education programs!"

Sirius waved the touchscreen in question briefly before returning it to his inner robe pocket.

"We're heading for Hogwarts tomorrow and we'll be safe behind the school Wards." Remus supplied. "Padfoot's arranged for the DADA and Potions books to be supplied free-of-charge to the students as well as potions kits and ingredients."

"Repaying Professor Snape." Harry realized, earning an approving nod from his dogfather.

"Making a start, yep. I've also arranged for extra potions reference books to be supplied to all four Houses as well as the school library. I wrote to Snape and asked which books he would recommend, then sent the order to Flourish and Blotts."

A chime sounded and Harry looked round to the Floo and the green flames filling it. A head appeared and looked round.

"Lord Potter? I'm Auror Shacklebolt. May I come through?"

"Jor-El, let him in."

" _As you command, sir."_

The floating head vanished and a moment later, a tall, dark-skinned man strode through, his eyes taking in the entire room in an instinctive sweep.

"Kingsley!" Sirius waved and the new arrival nodded in reply.

"Lord Black, Mr Lupin. Good to see you both."

"You too, Kingsley." Sirius bounced out of his chair and shook the proffered hand, then turned and shook Harry's hand as Remus sighed.

"Damn it, Padfoot." Remus groaned as Kingsley cracked a slight smile.

"Still haven't grown up, I see. You really do like to fool around."

"Hey, that's not true!" Lord Black protested. "I'm always _Sirius_!"

Both Remus and Kingsley face-palmed at the bad pun, then Remus used his wand to lift Sirius into the air.

"We need to finish preparing for the transfer and we'll be taking one of the linked Trunks with us in case you need us back fast. Kingsley, look after him, please."

Remus towed the protesting Sirius into one of the small rooms, the door swinging open a moment later to reveal that the room was empty. Catching Kingsley's bemused look, Harry explained.

"Those doors are switching rooms. That one leads to Sirius' place, that one to the Diagon Alley flat which in turn links to some of my friends houses and the third one is still to be assigned. The Flat is Warded almost as well as the Pottery and should those Wards be breached, the Switching Rooms will instantly be disabled."

"Impressive." Kingsley admitted. "I had been concerned about how to get you to Diagon Alley for your school shopping. This will simplify matters greatly, but I'll still need to check it out. I also checked your records… you're an Animagus?"

Harry transformed into Krypto and back again, causing Kingsley to raise an appreciative eyebrow.

"Nice. You must be one of the youngest Animagi on record, although Jinelle Shafiq has you beat by a couple of years. She's starting at Hogwarts this year."

"I met her at the Longbottom Ball, but you've piqued my curiosity. You know this… why?" Harry probed cautiously.

"The other Wolf Animagi back at the department mentioned her, they were happy that she was able to attend Hogwarts." Kingsley shrugged, then he looked round. "It might be best for me to remain on the premises in case anyone tries to attack at night…"

"Jor-El?"

" _I have assigned a suite for Auror Shacklebolt's temporary use, sir."_ Jor-El said as his avatar manifested. _"I have also informed SssSthss about our new guest."_

"Wait, what?" Kingsley shook his head. "Informed who?"

" _Me."_ SssSthss replied from the doorway just behind him and Kingsley took one look at her before fainting.

"You've been hanging around Sirius too much, haven't you?" Harry sighed as he picked up the Auror. SssSthss slithered out of the way as Harry carried Kingsley through the door, then followed him, hissing with amusement.

.

"Welcome back."

Kingsley's eyes slowly opened, then he jolted into a seated position.

"Snake! Giant snake!"

"It's alright, she's _my_ giant snake." Harry tried to calm the Auror down.

"Why did it have to be Merlin-loving snakes?" Kingsley groaned, burying his head in his hands. A moment later, he lifted his head up and looked around in confusion.

"Um, where are we?"

"Your quarters, for now." Harry chuckled. "I had Gilligan check your pockets, he found your shrunken Trunk and unpacked your clothes, they're in the wardrobe over there. En-suite bathroom is through that door and that corner there is a micro-kitchen in case you want to do your own cooking."

"Wow. You don't do these things by halves, do you?" Kingsley marveled as he swung his legs off the bed. "Sorry about that, I didn't expect your… Basilisk?"

"SssSthss _is_ a Basilisk." Harry confirmed. "She wears a special visor that stops her gaze from killing unless she decides it's required."

"That is one _hell_ of a defense." Kingsley agreed. "That and the Wards… yeah. You're definitely safe here… hang on. That thing in Little Hangleton… there wasn't any sign of your Basilisk there…"

"She was resting after eating a couple of cows." Harry shrugged. "SssSthss goes into a torpor after eating a large meal, it would have taken her too long to regain her full energy… about two days too long. She's changed her eating habits since. Smaller meals, but more often."

"Oh… thanks for explaining." Shacklebolt said as he stood up and went through a couple of stretches. "So, anything else I need to know at this point?"

"I've also been talking to Hermione and Neville." Harry said. "They'll be joining us tomorrow for our trip to Diagon Alley… as will Neville's parents."

"The Longbottoms were excellent Aurors before Lestrange." Kingsley nodded. "Even though they're apparently not up to their old standards yet, they'll be formidable reinforcements. Is Madam Longbottom coming too?"

"Frank didn't say, so probably not." Harry mused.

"Thank Merlin." Kingsley sighed. "That woman _terrifies_ me."

"Me too." Harry agreed.

" _Pardon me, sir, but Miss Granger is on her way."_

"Hermione?"

.

"Harry!"

"Hey, Hermione!" Harry replied as the bushy-haired missile glomped him, earning a chuckle from Shacklebolt. Hermione looked at the source of the laughter, then quickly released her victim.

"Hermione, meet Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt." Harry waved one hand towards the tall man. "He's been assigned to protect me until we reach the Hogwarts Express. Kingsley, this is one of my two best friends, Hermione Granger, the brightest witch of her year."

"Harry!" Hermione half-protested before turning to face Kingsley and bobbing in a slight curtsy. "A pleasure to meet you, Auror Shacklebolt."

"The honor is mine." Kingsley replied smoothly.

"Umm, not that I'm complaining," Harry prefaced his question, "But… aren't you a little early?"

"Power blackout at home." Hermione sighed. "Mum and Dad were making jokes about candlelit dinners, so I decided to leave them to it. Is that room still available for me?"

"Always." Harry smiled. "Do you want Herriet to bring your things over so you don't disturb your parents?"

"That would be nice. Thanks."

"Consider it done." Harry grinned. "I assume you've got your list?"

"There aren't any Potions or DADA books on it." Hermione fretted, pulling said list out of her pocket. "Look, it doesn't even have Potions Kits on the list… Harry, why are you smiling like that?"

"Let's just say that I've already met this year's DADA teacher…" Harry smirked.

"Ha-aaarrry…"

* * *

.

"Lord Black."

"Narcissa." Sirius replied as Remus backed out of the room, leaving the woman he had escorted from the front gates of Hogwarts alone with him.

"I heard that you had accepted the position of Defense Professor."

"Your sources are very good." Sirius noted and Narcissa briefly smiled at the subtle compliment, then she held up a medallion.

"This was given to me as protection against the curse on the DADA position. It will prevent the curse from acting on you, but only so long as you serve only a single year."

Sirius accepted the medallion and carefully placed it on the desk.

"Why give it to me?"

Narcissa sagged. "I have already lost too many members of my family. I would prefer not to lose any more."

Rather than verbally reply, Sirius walked over and gave his cousin a hug.


	6. To Diagon

"Everyone ready?" Kingsley asked, one hand on the door of the Diagon Flat as he looked at the assembled Witches and Wizards.

"Ready." Frank Longbottom confirmed, his right hand slightly tensed and ready to trigger his arm-holster. Beside him, Alice Longbottom appeared to be more relaxed, but her hand was similarly ready to grab her wand.

"Lists confirmed and money in the belt-pouches." Harry added.

" _External scanners show no hostiles in the vicinity."_ Jor-El supplied and Kingsley opened the door, moving to place himself between the occupants of the flat and any theoretical attackers waiting to charge them with wands blasting.

"Clear." He confirmed and Harry led his friends down the stairs to join Kingsley at the bottom, looking round at the surprisingly quiet street.

"We've beaten the rush by several days." Hermione noted as she joined him. "This'll make getting our things much easier."

"Where to first?" Harry asked.

"Well, the book list is rather small this year and we won't need to visit the Apothecary, so… robes first?" Neville suggested diffidently.

"Robes." Harry agreed.

"Robes." Hermione confirmed.

"Robes it is." Frank chuckled. "Let's go."

The group made their way up the Alley to _Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions_ and while Frank and Alice flanked the three children protectively, Kingsley stepped into the shop, eyes darting round.

"This brings back memories." Alice sighed. "The last time we had Protection Detail was just before I became pregnant."

"Ironically enough, we were protecting Bagnold." Frank almost growled.

"I'd almost forgotten that." Alice admitted. "We had to escort her to a family reunion with her Squib sister, the one in the… the… the CJD?"

"CND." Frank corrected her. "You remember, that group funded by Russia? The ones who wanted to get rid of all the Nukes so that Russia could invade?"

"What!" Hermione gasped. "The CND… Oh Merlin! My cousin's a member of it… How did you know?"

"Bagnold shouted it at her sister." Alice reminisced. "I had to pull her away from Bagnold after. Bagnold always hated the Russians, both the Magicals _and_ the Muggles. Something to do with her uncle dying in Finland or something."

Before anyone could reply, Shacklebolt re-emerged from the shop.

"All clear." He reported, then he looked at them curiously. "What did I miss?"

.

From across the street, a cloaked figure snarled in the shadows as it watched Harry and his friends enter the shop.

"Soon… soon you will pay." It whispered, then the figure stalked away.

.

"Lord Potter!" Madam Malkin greeted the suddenly-embarrassed peer. "Welcome! Here for your Hogwarts robes?"

"The old ones are getting a little bit small." Harry admitted and Madam Malkin ushered him onto the small stepstool. "I think I'm going to need something with room to grow…"

"Of course." The mauve-clad witch nodded as she started measuring him. "You _have_ grown, haven't you? Looks like you'll grow to be a big man… I'd say six foot tall if you keep exercising and eating well, maybe a little bit more… What? You don't get to be as successful as I am without learning how to work these things out."

Hermione hid her smile behind a hand as Madam Malkin bustled around one of her two best friends, then she squeaked in shock as she found herself being chivied onto a second stool. A muffled chuckle behind her caused her to glare at Neville, who only returned her gaze with an innocent expression, then Madam Malkin was prodding her to stand straight for measuring.

.

"Robes, check." Hermione ticked the item off her list, ignoring how Frank and Alice were exchanging amused looks. "So, where to next?"

"How about the Bookshop." Neville suggested. "I know that even though Harry lets you read almost everything in his library, you're still twitching at the thought of new books."

"I am not twitching!" Hermione protested. "Am I?"

"Sorry, Hermione, but you kind of are." Harry smiled and Hermione sagged.

"Really?"

"Really. Sorry."

Hermione sighed as she moved out of the way of a scruffy wizard who was making his way from Gringotts to Knockturn. "Drat. Okay, Bookshop it is."

.

"Did you get it?"

"Here."

The cloaked figure handed a small item to the scruffy wizard. "Here. One of my Father's re-usable Portkeys to his vacation home in Canada. The Wards there haven't been upgraded as it's a Malfoy property rather than a Black one."

"Good." The scruffy wizard tucked away the bagged item, then handed a small box to the cloaked figure. "Unshrink this at home. It'll be useful and for some of the items, instructions are provided. When the time comes, you will stand with our Lord. Until then, keep a low profile."

"I will. Good luck."

The scruffy wizard turned to go, the breeze briefly catching the sleeve of his robe, lifting it just enough to reveal a fragment of a tattoo, then he was gone, leaving only a slight _pop_ to mark that he had been there. The cloaked figure stepped back into one of the shadows, then he vanished in the characteristic whirl of a Portkey, a strand of whitish-blond hair visible in the instant before he was gone.

.

"…and _done_!" Hermione ticked off the last item on her list, carefully ignoring the dramatic sighs of relief that Harry and Neville gave as she said it. "That's everything on the list purchased, we're good to go."

"And ahead of schedule, too." Harry noted, glancing at his watch. "In fact, I think we have enough time for a round of ice cream before we need to think about heading back."

"To Fortesque's!" Neville declaimed and Hermione shook her head in mock-despair.

"You've been spending too much time around Sirius."

"And we'll be spending even more time with them when we get to Hogwarts." Harry pointed out.

"There go my hopes for a _quiet_ year." Hermione mourned as Frank led the way to the Alley's famous ice-cream parlor.

.

"Welcome back, Barty." Voldemort looked up from the papers spread across the table. "I trust all went well?"

"It did, my Lord." Bartemius Crouch (Jr) bowed, pulling a small bag out of his robe pocket. "Here is the Portkey that Draco Malfoy gave me."

"Excellent." Voldemort almost purred. "Peter's swapped some Muggle money for that used in Canada and America and Gellert's contacts will soon provide us with Muggle documentation, allowing us to travel without risking coming to the attention of the American Aurors."

"And with my father _obliviated_ of the knowledge that he kept me captive under the _Imperius_ for a decade, no-one will be looking for me." Barty agreed, stroking his luxuriant beard. "And even if they were, they wouldn't recognize me."

"It is remarkable how facial hair can alter someone's looks." Voldemort agreed, stroking his own mustache. "I assume that you managed to get into your family vault and retrieved your wand?"

"I did." Barty confirmed, pulling a wand from out of his belt-holster and holding it out for Voldemort to look at. "My father had placed it with the old family wands. I also picked up some money and a few of the smaller enchanted objects that he had confiscated from your old followers, but never handed over. He had a label with each one, saying who he'd taken it from and what the enchantments did."

"He probably kept them as blackmail material." Voldemort mused as a second bag was placed by the first on the table. "If not for him discovering your true loyalties, which was highly unfortunate, he would have made a play for the position of Minister of Magic… but instead, we got that weakling Fudge."

"Very fortunate." Barty agreed.

"If all goes well, we'll be in Canada by the end of the week and in America a day later." Voldemort smirked. "I wonder how many _Obscurials_ we'll be able to claim… and if this ritual works, we'll be able to control them, using and deploying them against our enemies. The power of an _Obscurial_ , directed and controlled… not even Merlin could have matched the power that is ours to claim…"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Does Draco have the speaker-stone?"

"He does, my Lord."

"Then we shall have real-time intelligence on what is happening in Hogwarts." Voldemort noted, only to pause as a knock sounded. "Enter."

"My Lord!" Peter squeaked as he scurried in, a large bag held out in his hands. "You were right, it worked! I was able to retrieve the cabinet! Here it is!"

"And once the doors are put back on and the runes re-energized, we shall once again have our method of entering Hogwarts at will, irrespective of the number of Wards they put up." Voldemort gloated as he took the large bag from Peter's hands. "Well done, both of you. With your efforts, our path to victory is truly attainable despite the losses our cause has taken!"

Both wizards straightened with pride at Voldemort's words.

.

"I ate too much." Hermione groaned as she carefully sat down on one of the sofas in the Diagon Flat, then leaned back with a heartfelt sigh. "Why did I ever let you persuade me to try one of those Dragonsized Chocolate Sundaes? And who knew that there were so many different types of chocolate?"

"Harry, I'd just like you to know that I hate you for your ability to eat all of yours, then finish off Hermione's and mine when we couldn't do it ourselves." Neville stated, causing Harry to laugh.

"Well, at least we're ready for Hogwarts." Harry countered. "Soon we'll be on the train and catching up with all of our friends."

"I think I'll try out for the Quidditch team." Neville mused. "If I remember rightly, one of the Beater positions is going to need filling."

"I'll be happy to let you use my pitch to practice on." Harry offered.

"Neville, we're heading back." Alice gave Neville a quick kiss on his forehead as she walked past. "Will you be back in time for tea?"

"After that enormous ice-cream?" Neville half-chuckled. "Please tell me it's going to be a light snack?"

"Nothing more than a light salad, I promise." Frank laughed as he followed his wife into the Switching Room, closing the door behind them.

"Harry, would you like to come over for tea?" Hermione asked. "It'll be rather late, but Mum's making her chicken curry tonight…"

"Hermione, for your mum's chicken curry, I'd wrestle a dragon." Harry replied almost instantly.

* * *

.

"Well, gentlemen, this is it." Voldemort stated as he carefully placed three vials of a multi-colored liquid on the workbench. "Our new forms await us."

"My Lord…" Peter said diffidently and Voldemort waved for him to continue. "While this potion allows you to change into your Animagus form, it only works once. Afterwards, you need to be able to remember _exactly_ what it felt like… how transforming felt like, how your new body works and how changing back feels like. Even then, it takes a _lot_ of practice… Potter was the best of us, but it still took him over a month until he was able to change into Prongs at will without getting stuck partway and needing help changing back to normal…"

"Your warning is noted and appreciated, my Inquisitor." Voldemort said and Peter jerkily bowed before skittering backwards into the corner. "Gellert, Barty, let us acquire the skill which Peter has so graciously led us to, the skill that will prevent Potter from using that anti-magic spell to render us defenseless. As the old saying goes, down the hatch!"

"Bottoms up!" Gellert chuckled as he picked up the vial before him. With an expert movement of his thumb, he flicked the stopper off, then raised it to his lips and swallowed the contents as quickly as he could.

"For the cause!" Barty raised the vial as if in a toast, then he swallowed the liquid, grimacing at the taste. Peter watched nervously, his wand at the ready, as all three wizards suddenly convulsed as the potion took effect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The CND (aka Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) was provided funding by Russia in its early days, as proven when the Kremlin declassified a bunch of documents. The idea behind funding it appeared to be that the West would dismantle all their nuclear weapons, thus allowing Russia to invade without needing to worry about having their cities turned into radioactive craters.
> 
> Rumors that Russia actually set up the CND are (probably) not true, though…


	7. King's Cross Station

"Everyone ready?" Kingsley asked, one hand on the door of the Diagon Flat as he looked at the assembled Witches and Wizards.

"Ready." Alistair Moody growled, his magical eye swiveling in its socket as he double-checked the surrounding area.

"Ready." Auror-Trainee Tonks stated, her hair shifting color slightly.

"We've got out shrunken trunks in our pockets and are ready to go." Harry confirmed after briefly checking with Neville and Hermione.

"The car will be waiting out the front." Kingsley said as he opened the door. "Let's go."

Harry, Hermione and Neville followed Kingsley down the stairs, their hands ready to summon their wands. The _clunk_ of Moody's false leg sounded as he stumped down behind them, followed by Tonks, who carefully closed the door behind her. The _click_ of the door locking sounded and Tonks scampered down to ground level, taking her position just behind the three young teenagers.

Walking quietly, the group made their way down Diagon Alley and into the Leaky Cauldron where a couple of other Aurors were stationed to keep an eye on things. Kingsley then led them out onto the street where a large black car was waiting, the passenger door open and the driver standing by it.

"Richards."

"Shacklebolt."

Kingsley stood on watch as Hermione entered the car and her surprised gasp caused Neville to duck inside to see what was happening. Harry followed and looked round appreciatively.

"Space-expansion charms. Nice."

"No seatbelts." Hermione worried as she sat down on one of the two leather-covered benches that occupied the area that in a normal car would have been a single backseat.

"It has the same charms as the Knight Bus." Kingsley supplied as he slid in and Harry groaned.

"Great. Does that mean we need to hold on for dear life as it power-slides round corners and jumps over houses?"

"What?" Hermione queried as Neville nodded in agreement.

"Richards is a trained driver." Kingsley said reassuringly.

"You mean Ernie _isn't_?" Harry asked in shock as the car pulled away from the kerb.

.

"That wasn't too bad." Hermione said as they climbed out of the car.

"Certainly smoother than the Knight Bus." Neville agreed as he joined her, looking round. "Um, where do we go?"

"This way." Tonks took the lead, guiding them through the station until they stopped at a familiar pillar. "Okay, Mad-eye, I'll give a thumbs-up and then get them on the train."

"What did she mean by that?" Hermione asked as Tonks vanished through the apparently-solid wall.

"It means I've got my eye on her." Moody growled. "She's just signaled. Go!"

Neville strode forwards and Harry half-turned to look at Kingsley.

"Thanks."

"Just doing my duty, Lord Potter."

With a grin, Harry stepped through to platform Nine and Three Quarters, where his friends were waiting for him.

"Okay, everyone, let's get you on the train." Tonks chivvied the trio towards the waiting carriages. "The sooner you're behind the train Wards, the better I'll feel about this."

Harry let Tonks direct them to the car just behind the Prefect's carriage, then once they were safely ensconced in their compartment, Tonks waggled a finger at them.

"Now, stay put until the train goes and remember, don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

"So, anything short of murder and public streaking." Harry nodded. "Got it."

Tonks froze, her mouth the only thing moving as she failed to come up with a response for a long moment, then she sagged. "You've been spending too much time with Sirius, haven't you?"

An innocent grin was her only reply and she shook her head.

"Never mind. I'll let the Prefects know to keep a close eye on your compartment, but now you're on the train, our part is done. Have fun!"

Tonks vanished down the corridor and Harry pulled out his trunk, expanding it before lifting it up to put on the luggage rack. "You want yours up too?"

"Hang on." Neville said as he pulled out his own trunk, enlarging it so that he could open it and start rummaging inside. "Aha, here we are! Anyone fancy a game of _Sorry_?"

"I played that when I was young!" Hermione exclaimed, dropping her book back into her trunk. "I'd love to play!"

Harry lifted the other two trunks up onto the luggage racks while Neville unhooked the folding table underneath the window and extended it. As Neville started unpacking the game box, Harry frowned.

"No dice? How do you play this game?"

Hermione passed the box lid to him and Harry noted the instructions written on the inside. Quickly skimming them, he nodded in understanding.

"I think I get it."

"Shall we?"

.

"Hermione!"

Hermione looked up from where she was moving one of her cones and grinned at the group in the door.

"Ginny, Luna. Enjoy your holiday?"

"Uh, _brothers_." Ginny sighed in disgust, causing a protest to sound behind her. "Fred, George, we're settling down here so drag in the trunks and then go off and get into mischief or something."

"Your wish is our command, little sister." One of the twins said as they dragged the trunks to the doorway, where Harry grabbed them and lifted them into the luggage racks.

"Okay, now shoo." Ginny half-scolded and the Twins made their way back down the carriage, laughing.

"Hello, Hermione." Luna smiled. "Do you mind if we watch?"

"Not at all." Hermione replied, gathering Luna and a surprised Ginny into a welcoming hug before returning to her seat, motioning for the two girls to join her. "Right now, Neville's winning, but it can change quite quickly."

Ginny leaned forwards, her eyes intent as Luna picked up the box lid and started to read the instructions.

Unnoticed, a door further down the carriage slid open briefly to allow a grey eye to peek out, one that took in the view of the highly-polished strip of metal along the upper curve of the corridor, a piece of metal that acted as a mirror to those who paid enough attention to it. For a long moment,the eye stared at the reflections of the game-playing friends, then the door slowly and quietly slid shut once again as the train began moving away from the platform.

.

"They'll be pulling out of the station now." Remus said as he entered the staff room and from where he was using a stylus to write notes on the Jor-El-provided notepad before him, Sirius looked up.

"Hmmm? Oh, right. The train. Sorry, I was just refining my lesson plans."

"And I am sure they needed a great deal of refining." Snape commented from his own desk. Sirius proved his maturity by sticking his tongue out at the Potions master.

"Padfoot! Behave!"

"But he started it." Sirius whined.

"No, I didn't." Snape riposted, his lips twitching slightly as Minerva shook her head in the doorway.

"Did too!"

"Did not."

"Did too!"

"Did not."

"Did-"

"Sirius Black! Stop that!" Minerva snapped and Sirius jolted with shock. He opened his mouth to say something, then caught her glare and shrank back in his seat. "Same goes for you, Severus."

Severus simply inclined his head in acknowledgement as Sirius pouted.

"I hope that you're ready for your new position, _Professor_ Black." Minerva continued. "You have no less than thirty-six lessons to arrange and oversee each week, and that's _before_ things like marking homework."

"Fortunately, I can re-use quite a few of those lessons, so I should be okay." Sirius replied, earning an approving smile from Remus. "I've also practiced my emergency first-aid spells, just in case anything goes wrong and I've talked with Filius about helping with his dueling club… assuming I can meet his standards, that is."

"His standards _are_ quite exacting." Snape agreed.

"They are." Remus agreed, then he gave Snape a measuring look. "Professor Black will be offering courses in how to become an Animagi… are there any Newt-level students anyone knows of who _shouldn't_ be encouraged to learn that skill?"

"There are one or two in my House that I would be hesitant to encourage." Snape admitted almost ruefully.

"A couple of my House lack the moral fortitude that I would prefer." Filius commented as he entered the staffroom. "I doubt that any of Pomona's students would be problematic, though. There hasn't been a single Dark Lord or Lady from Hufflepuff since Dark Lady Kartasia in… fourteen-twelve, I think it was."

"Wasn't she the one who tried to accumulate a Harem of males for herself and her daughters?" Remus mused. "If I remember rightly, she ended up married to the Wizard sworn to take her down…"

"Moving on." Minerva regained control of the conversation. "Are there any last-minute changes anyone wants to make to the schedules?"

A round of head-shakes answered her query.

"And anyone have anything they wish to add?"

"We've got at least one Animagus joining Hogwarts this year." Remus pointed out. "Shouldn't be a problem, she's a Pureblood Witch, but when you're an Animagus, there's always an urge to spend time in your animal form…"

"So, no matter the House, Remus and I will be willing to watch over her during those times." Sirius concluded, the normal joking tone completely absent.

"I may join you." Minerva said, earning surprised looks from both Wizards. "What? You don't think that I was willing to keep a Mandrake leaf in my mouth for a full month and risk using the potion, but then _wouldn't_ use the skill I gained?"

"We'll be using a different technique." Sirius pointed out. "No Mandrake leaf needed but Occlumancy is a requirement. Minerva, if we have any female would-be-Animagi, we'll need you to oversee their first transformations."

"Sounds like the Uguandua School's method." Snape mused. "Minerva, I do hope that you don't have any embarrassing birthmarks."

Minerva frowned in confusion as Sirius and Remus both tried to look as innocent as possible.

* * *

.

"Yes!" Ginny exulted as Harry moved the dog. "Park Lane with two houses, that'll be five hundred pounds!"

Harry winced slightly, then he counted out the required number of hundred-pound-notes and handed them over to the grinning red-head.

"My turn." Hermione scooped up the dice and threw them onto the middle of the board. "Eleven, that'll be on Community Chest… Huh. I get fifty pounds from a stale sock."

Everyone else blinked in shared confusion and Hermione sighed. "Sorry, family joke. It's _Sale of Stock_ , but…"

"This is another Beauty-contest thing, isn't it?" Neville chuckled. "Saying I came first."

"Nev, you're an Orang-utan, not a Gorilla." Harry pointed out as Luna threw the dice before moving the hat.

"Oh, pooh." She pouted as she shifted the hat to the opposite corner. "I was hoping to collect my two-hundred pounds next turn."

" _Thirty minutes warning of arrival at Hogwarts. Please get changed into school robes."_

"Already done." Harry smirked, glancing up at his Trunk, then he looked back down as Ginny finished moving the iron. "Ooh, bad luck Ginny. I have all four stations, so that's two hundred pounds, please."

"Nuts." Ginny sighed as she handed the two notes over. "Your turn, Neville."

* * *

.

The Hogwarts Express came to a halt in a squealing of brakes and steam.

"Huh, look at that." Harry said as he looked out of the window. "More Aurors, roving Centaur patrols… _and_ it looks like they've re-surfaced the path to the boats for the first-years."

"Good thing too." Hermione huffed. "That path was _evil_ in the rain."

The doors all opened and Neville moved to take the lead, giving Harry an apologetic glance. "Sorry, Harry, but with Bagnold out there, you need someone to hide behind long enough to escape."

"Isn't that what the Auror's are for?" Harry half-joked as he followed Neville out of the compartment and into the corridor. "Okay, okay. I know you're just trying to keep me safe."

"After last year, can you blame us?" Hermione asked from behind them. "I mean, we _still_ don't know how they breached the Wards without collapsing them."

"Been reading up on Warding, have you?" Harry chuckled as he stepped onto the platform. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Hermione said quietly, then she continued in a more determined tone. "Ginny, Luna, escort positions, I'll bring up the rear."

Harry shook his head, but refrained from protesting. After all, with Bagnold on the loose and seeking revenge, it was better to be safe than sorry.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In Monopoly, Harry was the dog, Luna used the hat, Hermione had the Battleship (yes, that's a tip-of-the-hat to the highly-recommended SB story Harry And The Shipgirls), Neville chose the wheelbarrow and Ginny was the Iron.  
> Many families have their own Monopoly jokes, such as "Get £50 from a stale sock", "Drunk in *hic* charge, pay £50", "You have won second prize in a beauty contest – A Gorilla came first" and so on. To non-members, these jokes are usually unexpected.


	8. The Opening Feast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Song is sung to the tune of American Pie... or Wierd Al Yakovik's The Saga Begins...

"There's Sirius and Remus." Hermione noted as they made their way to the Ravenclaw table. "Sirius looks like he's having fun."

"Probably reminiscing about all the mischief that he used to get up to as part of the Marauders." Harry shrugged, then he frowned. "Which worries me. No offense, Ginny, but the thought of Sirius teaming up with the twins…"

Ginny paled and moved closer to Hermione, who placed a reassuring arm across her shoulders. "Why did you have to say that?"

"Sorry. I'll have to warn Remus, though."

"You do that." Ginny agreed as they reached their usual benches and started sitting down. As the last students took their places, the main doors echoed and Remus walked round from behind the teachers table, making his way calmly towards the door. Minerva had started to rise from her throne-like chair, but quickly sat down again.

As they watched, Remus stepped through the door and re-emerged a moment later. Returning to the table and walking around a surprisingly well-dressed-and-trimmed Hagrid, he pulled out a familiar stool and the Sorting Hat, placing them in the middle of the Great Hall before walking back to lead the new students in. The newcomers looked round nervously, then the Sorting Hat twitched, the tear on its brim that acted as a mouth opening as it began to sing.

" _A long long time ago - The Founders got together, And Hogwarts castle did create  
_ " _And declared that all could come – That they would teach everyone,  
_ " _And all would make Hogwarts great._

" _And so the students, they did watch for - And split them into the Houses four  
_ " _Each to their desire,  
_ " _To raise their knowledge higher_

" _And so to sort them I was made - A hat now tattered and badly frayed  
_ " _And each of you I call  
_ " _To Sort each of you all…_

" _So come, come and sit on the stool - I'll Sort you to where you fit in the School  
_ " _I'll keep your secrets as that is the Rule  
_ " _If you think otherwise, you're a fool…  
_ " _If you think otherwise, you're a fool…_

_"In Gryffindor you may yet go - A house that's brave and true you know  
_ _"And courage they do admire_

" _In Hufflepuff you'll make new friends - Who'll stand with you until the end  
_ " _Of the world and in the face of fire_

 _"Well, Ravenclaw's for those who think- Their thoughts unchained to rise not sink,  
_ " _For knowledge trumps all things  
_ " _Of books and scrolls they sing!_

" _Or in Slytherin you'll test your wits - -Be cunning, clever and in you'll fit  
_ " _And at their table you will sit  
_ " _Once I Sort you all  
_ " _Once I Sort you all_

" _So come, come and sit on the stool - I'll Sort you to where you fit in the School  
_ " _I'll keep your secrets as that is the Rule  
_ " _If you think otherwise, you're a fool…  
_ " _If you think otherwise, you're a fool…"_

"What the…?" Hermione muttered as the Hall erupted in applause. "How did the Sorting Hat _know_ that song? Is he a Don McClean fan like daddy is?"

"Maybe you can ask it later?" Neville suggested as Remus called out the first name and the student in question walked forwards, nervousness showing in every step. Remus gave him a reassuring smile and motioned for the young boy to sit. Once he was on the stool, Remus lowered the Hat onto his head and the Great Hall seemed to go so quiet that a pin dropping would have been deafening.

.

.

The last student scurried to the Hufflepuff table where she was welcomed by her new Housemates, then the quiet murmurs died away as Minerva McGonogall stood up.

"To those of you who have joined our numbers today, welcome to Hogwarts. My name is Minerva McGonogall and I am the current Headmistress in addition to retaining my position as your Transfiguration teacher. To my right is Remus Lupin, the Deputy Headmaster and beyond him is this year's Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, Lord Sirius Black."

Sirius grinned and waved.

"Both are Animagi and for those of you studying for your NEWTs, they have offered to teach the skill to those willing to make a magical vow that they will not use it in any action against the lawful Wizarding government."

Several of the older Slytherins looked somewhat annoyed by the latter part of the statement and Harry made a careful note of who they were. A quick glace to the Teachers table showed that Remus was doing the same thing, as was Snape.

"For those few of you who are already Animagi, Lord Black and Deputy Headmaster Lupin will be happy to oversee practice sessions on Sunday afternoons. Please speak to either of them should you wish to participate."

At the Gryffindor table, the newly-Sorted Jinelle Shafiq perked up, gaining the attention of several of her year-mates and a proud-yet-envious smile from her older Slytherin brother.

"We also have Lord Black to thank for the new reference books that you will find in your common rooms this evening." Minerva continued, then she paused as Sirius rose.

"Sorry, if I may? Thank you. Although I _paid_ for the reference books, it was Potions Master Snape who was kind enough to tell me which ones would be the most useful for you. Therefore, to show your appreciation, remember to use them so you don't annoy him by being _dunderheads_."

Sirius sat down as laughter swept the Great Hall and Snape gave Sirius an irritated glare, although his lips did twitch in what may have been an abortive smile.

"Thank you, Lord Black." Minerva said, hiding her own smile.

"Any time."

Minerva gave him a quelling look, then turned her attention back to the students.

"In addition, I would like to remind everyone once again to treat our Centaur guards _with respect_. Referring to them as _stupid animals_ or other such insulting terms will result in the speaker receiving an arrow in a painful but non-fatal location… as a _certain student_ demonstrated last year."

One of the seventh-year Slytherins shifted slightly, rubbing at his left arm while his neighbors smirked at his discomfiture.

"The Forbidden Forest is just that and only those who are in the company of a Professor may enter it. On that note, Professor Kettleburn has retired, stating that he wishes to spend more time with his remaining limbs, so the position of Care of Magical Creatures Professor is now filled by Rubeus Hagrid who, last month, gained his Mastery in CoMC."

Almost every student in the hall applauded and Hagrid smiled, pulling a wand out of his sleeve to unleash a couple of jets of sparkles before tucking it away again. Harry's eyes widened slightly in surprise at the sight of the Gamekeeper with his neatly-trimmed beard and neatly tailored (but still very practical) clothes.

"He's got a new wand!" Hermione noted quietly. "What happened?"

"We'll ask later." Harry hissed back as the applause finally died down.

"For those not in the know, information provided by Lord Potter and Lord Black after the end of last school year proved that Hagrid had been framed by then-fellow-pupil Tom Riddle for the death of Myrtle Warren in 1943. This means that Hagrid has been reinstated as a full Wizard and has received compensation as approved by the Wizengamot in the form of the political position of the Head of House Gaunt, previously held by Tom Riddle, now restored to prominence and renamed House Hagrid. For those of you not familiar with the intricacies of Wizarding Politics, Lord Hagrid is now a member of the Wizengamot, just like Lord Black."

Harry was not the only one who reacted with a dropped jaw and Hermione gasped in amazement, then another round of applause, this one mixed with cheering, filled the hall. Hagrid's smile turned into a wide grin and he wiped at the corner of his eye.

"We _really_ need to catch up." Neville noted. "You know, it's probably a good thing we all decided to do CoMC…"

"Finally, as always, tomorrow will be your day to settle in, with lessons starting on Friday. Yes, I am aware that some of you would rather wait until Monday to begin learning, but even the most optimistic Witch would fear the amount of mischief that _some_ of you could get up to in that amount of time."

The Weasley twins tried to look as innocent and angelic as possible as MacGonogall glared at them pointedly.

"Tomorrow morning, your schedules will be handed out and now, as tradition demands, we shall sing the school song. Deputy Headmaster Lupin, if you will be so kind?"

Remus reached under the table and pulled out a metal-and-crystal device that he placed on the Teachers Table.

"We now have an official tune for the song." He smiled, tapping a control on the top of the device. "We shall let it play through once, then everyone join in."

"That was made by Jor-El!" Harry gasped as the sound of a pipe organ rose from the music player. "You can see my family's crest on it!"

"Ssssh!" Hermione hissed at him and Harry went quiet. As the music came to an end, holographic words formed above it, along with a small shield-shape pointer.

"Everyone, in three, two, one…"

The pointer jumped to the first word and the students began singing, most trying frantically to keep in time with the pointer and each other, something that the Muggleborn and Muggle-raised were achieving with very little effort.

" _Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy hoggy Hogwarts…"_

* * *

.

"The Hogwarts year will be starting now." Tom Riddle noted as he carefully modified the spells on one of the Wizarding Tents that they had brought with them. The triangular tent shivered, then it shortened in length until it was barely two feet from front to back.

"Last one, Barty!" He called and the Wizard in question stepped out of the RV that they had appropriated from the Muggles who didn't need it any more.

"The other two are installed." Barty said respectfully as he tapped the top of the tent to collapse it.

"And I am very impressed." Gellert added as he stepped out. "I would have just installed a single tent in the middle, not _three_ in the cupboards."

"We will need quarters for the Obscurials that we find and putting both boys and girls in the same set of rooms strikes me as potentially being a spectacularly bad idea." Voldemort pointed out as Barty vanished into the RV to set up the final tent. "I admit that I am looking forwards to driving this. I have never driven a Muggle vehicle before."

Gellert glanced towards the nearby farmhouse. Through the open door, a body could be seen lying in the hallway, blood staining the wooden floor. "Should we burn the farmhouse down as we leave?"

"A delayed-action spell would be better, I feel." Voldemort mused. "While it was interesting seeing these Muggles at work robbing that bank and escaping, not knowing that my Inquisitor was with them, I would prefer to not risk anyone connecting us with them."

"It was interesting seeing you pull their skills out with Legilimency." Gellert admitted. "Thank you for giving me a copy of their skills. While I doubt I shall ever need to use a gun, having the ability and not needing it is far superior to not having the ability and requiring it urgently."

"Quite so." Voldemort agreed. "Quite so."

"Should we take all the money they stole as well, My Lord?" Pettigrew asked deferentially and Voldemort shook his head.

"No. Take… about a third and leave the rest. If the Muggle investigators find no money, they will search for whoever took it. By finding some of the money burned, they will simply assume that what they cannot find has been consumed by the flames. I must admit, using _felis felicis_ to ensure we managed to enter Canada undetected _did_ create a rather fortuitous boost to our mission."

"It's almost a shame that I had so little of it." Gellert sighed. "Then again, to rely on luck may aid in the short term, but it will inevitably lead to the destruction of all you hope to achieve."

Voldemort glanced at the older man, but chose not to ask why Gellert had sounded like he was talking from harsh experience.


	9. Catching Up

"Hagrid?" Harry called as he, Hermione, Neville, Ginny and Luna approached the hut that Hagrid called home, pausing as the changes became apparent.

While it was still a circular wooden hut, it was at least half-again as big as it had been with bigger windows. The chimney now boasted _two_ chimney-pots while the chimney-stack had been rebuilt and was at the junction between the rebuilt hut and a second circular extension.

"Hey, Harry, come on in!" Hagrid beamed as he opened the door. "I was 'oping to talk to yer about yer Basilisk. Can I borrow her for a lesson or two? I've seen pictures an' she's a real beauty… Where's me manners? Come in, all of yer! Come in! I got the kettle on fer tea."

"Thanks, Hagrid." Harry smiled as the group filed into Hagrid's expanded house. Looking round, Harry saw that the extension was where Hagrid's oversized bed now resided while the fireplace where Hagrid had previously hung a cauldron to cook his stew had been replaced with a large cooking range from which a fiery lizard peered out through the stove grille.

"Wow, Hagrid, this place is amazing!" Luna chirped as she scampered around and Hagrid rubbed at the back of his head.

"Yeah… well, I'm a _proper_ Wizard agin, a _teacher_ and a _Lord_ of all things! A little hut weren't gonna cut it, so I got it extended. It's comfy an' should be warmer in winter now. Yer friend Jorel helped plan it out, made it so I can extend it more iffen I need to."

Harry looked around, seeing the neatly-arranged cupboards and shelves covering almost half of the curved wall. At one side of the doorway to the bedroom was a very familiar table which projected a holographic map of Hogwarts grounds above it, one with various-colored dots and other symbols.

"It's good to see you're doing so well, Hagrid." Luna hugged the half-giant as best as she could (meaning her arms barely managed to get halfway around his waist). "I saw your new wand at the feast, what is it? Mine's Oak and Griffin feather."

"Well, it's Redwood and Thunderbird feather, had it custom made." Hagrid pulled his wand out of his belt-pouch as Luna released him. "Feather's from Frank, the bird that helped Newt Scamander a few decades back."

Luna leaned forwards to examine it and Hagrid placed it on the table so that she could get a better look.

"Thanks fer writing all dat stuff about Riddle down, Harry." Hagrid continued as he opened one of the cupboards to pull down a half-dozen mugs. "Madam Bones said that you were the reason I got my Lordship… still no idea what to do with it. Don't think the Wizengamot was built with me in mind…"

"You could always appoint a Proxy." Hermione mused as Hagrid pulled the kettle off the stove and used it to fill the head-sized teapot. "I know that Sirius has Remus go to all the meetings for him…"

"Huh, never though o' that." Hagrid opened another cupboard, revealing it to be a fridge, and removed a jug of milk. "Wonder if Remus'd accept… good fellow, you know."

"…I don't recall anything against someone Proxying for more than one person." Neville said thoughtfully. "I'd have to check with mum and dad… and gran… but I can't see anything against it."

"Be useful." Hagrid allowed as he started to pour tea into the mugs. "I've got plans and if I've gotta go the Wizengamot every time, some of the lessons'll hafta be cut short. Got a beaut of a Hippogryph fer one of the lessons next week, been nursin' him back to health over the summer. Name's Buckbeak an' I'll show him to yer all once ye've had yer tea, though since 'e's still healing, ye can't get too close. Ah made fresh rock cakes, too."

"Thanks, Hagrid!" Harry grinned, taking two from the proffered plate and biting into one with a loud cracking noise that made all his friends (bar Hagrid) flinch. "Mmm, tasty!"

"We had breakfast just before coming down." Hermione demurred as Hagrid offered his cakes to everyone. "Harry's metabolism is… faster than ours, so it's no wonder he's still hungry."

Harry paused mid-bite to stick his tongue out at Hermione, then he took another chomp.

"So, anything else happen over the summer?"

"Well, Sirius arranged to give Aragog and his children their own island, one of the ones that his family own but never used." Hagrid smiled. "Gave me a clever cupboard to put in me bedroom so I could go there whenever I want to go talk wiv 'im. Means I've got another income as well, Madam Malkin really loves getting Acromantula Silk for her sewing. Got a set of robes outta it."

Hermione and Ginny exchanged shocked glances as they imagined what Hagrid would look like in the voluminous robes that were the de-facto uniform of the Wizengamot.

"Who… or _what_ is Aragog?" Neville probed cautiously.

"Oh, he's me pet Acromantula." Hagrid said proudly. "Had him since I was a student here. Grew too big to keep under me bed, so he lived in the Forest until Sirius took an interest."

Neville turned white, as did Ginny while Luna simply looked interested.

"Really? Does he know anything about Crumple-horned Snorkacks?"

"Dunno." Hagrid shrugged after several moments of deep thought. "Tell you what, I'm gonna pop over to see him on Sunday, you wanna come and ask him?"

"Ooh, that'll be great!" Luna chirped. "I've never met an actual Acromantula before."

"We must never tell Ron." Ginny stated flatly. "He's _terrified_ of spiders, if he ever finds out that there was a giant one in the Forbidden Forest…"

"Took a while to move him and alla his children, but we did it." Hagrid continued, blissfully unaware of how Ginny's face had paled further. "Taught him how ta use nets to catch fish, dey ain't gonna run out of food. Aragog always did like fish, now he can have his fill."

"That's… nice." Neville managed.

"Mebbe I'll bring him back to show him off fer a bit." Hagrid mused, then he glanced at the time-display above the table. "Whoah! Time ta feed Buckbeak! Yer wanting to see 'im?"

Harry nodded, then gulped down the rest of his tea. "Yes, please."

* * *

.

Draco Malfoy carefully unwrapped the package that his mother had given him, revealing a mirror. Holding it up, he glanced round, then spoke.

"Narcissa."

The mirror seemed to cloud, then it cleared to show a face that wasn't his.

" _Good morning, my son."_ Narcissa smiled at him.

"Mother." Draco said with a small smile, then he frowned slightly. "I heard a rumour, mother. It would appear that Potter is an Animagus, as is Longbottom."

" _Really?"_ Narcissa tilted her head slightly in thought. _"I can check to see if they are registered… what animals are they, if I may ask?"_

"According to the one who informed me of this, Potter is a dog and Longbottom is a bear." Malfoy stated.

" _That will help, I'll check for you. What do you plan to do with this information?"_

"At this time, I do not know." Malfoy admitted. "However, I do not see any issue in having it in reserve should I need it."

" _A good Slytherin always seeks out information on others."_ Narcissa agreed proudly. _"Your father, for all his cunning, stopped seeking information whenever he thought he had enough… or when it agreed with what he thought he knew."_

"Which led him to where he died." Draco half-growled. "Hagrid has become _Lord_ Hagrid, taking the position of Head of House from someone named Gaunt."

" _Interesting."_ Narcissa mused. _"I had heard a few rumors about a House returning, I shall see what I can uncover from my end. Anything else?"_

"I don't know where Dumbledore is, McGonogall has taken over as the new Headmistress." Draco shrugged. "Someone named Lupin has been brought in as Deputy Headmaster…"

" _You should know who he is."_ Narcissa said sounding slightly disappointed. _"Remus Lupin is the closest friend of Sirius Black and the former friend of James Potter."_

"The first cured werewolf!" Draco realized. "I _knew_ that name was familiar. Anyway, I've already sent the list of new first-years and their Houses to you via Owl post. The Shafiq girl ended up in Gryffindor of all places instead of Slytherin with her brother."

" _Not entirely unexpected."_ Narcissa mused, causing her son to stare at her in confusion. _"Even though the Werewolf curse is no longer an issue, there is still a great deal of stigma attached to having been a werewolf. She is very brave to be attending Hogwarts rather than asking for home schooling."_

Draco grunted. Although he disagreed with his mother on that, he couldn't put just _why_ he disagreed into words.

" _Study hard, my little dragon."_ Narcissa smiled. _"I love you."_

"I love you too, mother." Draco replied quietly, then he tapped his wand to the mirror, deactivating it. Carefully placing it in one of the smaller drawers of his desk, he busied himself with putting his clothes away, ensuring that his robes were hung in _just_ the right way to prevent them from creasing.

"Draco, House meeting." Nott called from the door and Draco nodded.

"I'm on my way."

Pausing just long enough to close his wardrobe, Draco strode out of his room and down the corridor to the Common Room. Passing the newly-installed shelves (with the new reference books), Draco took position on one side of the forming crowd. A moment later, Severus Snape swept into the room, his cloak billowing as he came to a stop.

"A number of you lost your fathers last year when they chose to follow the one calling himself Voldemort." Professor Snape's words echoed in the silent room. "Many of you blame Potter for this. While he was there and was technically responsible for several of the deaths, the ones at fault were those who participated in the plan to kidnap him from Hogwarts so that the one claiming to be Voldemort could kill him. He defended himself far better than anyone anticipated with a technique that no-one saw coming and a skill that no-one expected.  
"That was a failure on the part of those ranged against him. They broke the law in order to take action against him, so it should be no surprise that by breaking the law, they forfeited its protection.  
"They did not think their actions through and so they paid the price.  
"We are _Slytherins_. While we prize cunning and ambition, both are useless without a foundation of _knowledge_. Those who died forgot this. They did not seek out the knowledge they needed, about the one they were called to watch die, or the one who called them."

Severus paused, his eyes sweeping across the students who wore the colors of his House.

"Remember. Before acting, _think_. Do not assume that you will not get found out. As many of you learned last year, casting hexes on others is no longer allowed and you _will_ get caught. If you wish to stand above the others, you must do so _without_ trying to topple them first.  
"From now on, you must indeed be _cunning_. Take _all_ facts into consideration. Ferret out the secrets that others seek to conceal. Plan for the future, both near and distant. The halfblood you scorn today may become the owner of the company you work for in the future, in which case, you will find that you can not progress any further as you have turned him against you. Do not limit yourself to seeking favors, instead you should seek to make others see you as one they wish to help.  
"There is an old saying that one catches more flies with jam than with vinegar.  
"Contemplate this."

Professor Snape looked round the room again.

"And for those of you who refuse to listen and still contemplate attacking Potter, I would invite you to consider this. He was alone and unarmed, facing a veritable army of Death Eaters, Werewolves, Dementors and Giants, all led by Voldemort. He had no wand and was in chains that prevented him from using magic. He walked away virtually unscathed.  
"His enemies did not.  
"Learn from this. There are some whom you can fight and some you cannot.  
"Potter is the latter."

Severus turned and strode out of the room, leaving the shocked Slytherins gaping after him. Where he was standing against the wall, Draco clenched his fists as he fought to contain his rage.

So, Snape thought that that Potter was stronger than the Dark Lord?

He would prove otherwise.

And when Voldemort returned, Draco would present him with the bound and helpless form of the so-called _Boy-Who-Lived_.


	10. A Serious Session

"This should be interesting." Harry noted as he, Hermione and Neville joined the crowd outside room 3C. "My dogfather as a teacher…"

"I'm not certain that my brain is up to the task of imagining it ahead of time." Hermione half-joked, earning several chuckles. "Then again, even he can't be as bad as Lockhart was…"

Before Harry could reply, the door unlocked and Sirius' voice called out.

"Everyone in! Come in, be seated!"

Harry followed Hermione in and they sat at one of the desks near the back. At the front of the classroom, Sirius stood leaning slightly against his desk, his eyes twinkling with humor.

"Well, I see everyone's here, so welcome to your first lesson of Defense Against the Dark Arts. I have spoken with Narcissa and she gave me a list of the items she has covered with you, so now I think it's time to begin the solid work of shielding, counterspells and combat tactics.  
"As you know, the return of Mouldyshorts was faked last year, but it is possible for other Dark Lords to rise. Therefore, I will teach you how to protect yourselves and each other, basic healing techniques and how to ensure that the other side are the ones that die for their cause.  
"A word of warning, though. Later in the year I will cover the Unforgivables with the help of Auror Alistair Moody, who as an Auror Commander is licensed to use them should he deem it appropriate. If I find any of you trying to use any of those three spells, that person will be expelled immediately."

Sirius glared at the class for a moment before relaxing.

"So, to start off with, do any of you know any shielding spells?"

"I do, sir! My older brother Bill taught me." Ron Weasley raised his hand.

"Ah, you must be a Weasley, your hair is unmistakable." Sirius chuckled as he waved for Ron to join him at the front of the classroom. "Ron, right? Gryffindor chaser."

"Yes, sir." Ron said.

"Now, can you shield that target for me, please? Stand close to it, don't worry. I'm aiming for the target, not you."

Ron stood a couple of paces away from the red-painted target and pulled his wand out of his belt-holster.

"Now, cast any shielding spell you want."

" _Protego_!"

A magical shield rippled into existence and Sirius nodded approvingly.

"Excellent… and it looks quite powerful. Ready to hold it?"

Ron nodded and Sirius' wand seemed to teleport into his hand, unleashing several hexes and curses that splashed off the shield and after a moment, Sirius stopped.

"Well done, Mr Weasley. Five points to Gryffindor, you can sit down now."

As Ron made his way back to his seat, Sirius faced the class. "As you saw, Mr Weasley's shield held against the usual spells used by those who wish to hurt others. While more powerful spells could have penetrated it, it takes longer to cast the stronger spells, giving you time to hit them with a quick spell to stop them or simply move out of the way.  
"By the end of this lesson, I want all of you to be able to cast a shield spell. Those of you who can, please help those who can't."

The desks and chairs slid towards the back of the room, rotating so that the desks ended up against the wall and the students could esily get up without anything blocking them.

"Okay, that was cool." Harry admitted as he rose to his feet, giving his now-motionless chair a measuring look.

"Everyone who can shield, please raise a hand." Sirius prompted and Harry raised his hand, as did Neville and Hermione.

"Okay, everyone who can't shield, please choose someone who can to teach you… actually, stop! _I'll_ choose who teaches you."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief as the girls scurrying towards him stopped with cries of disappointment.

"And Harry, you _know_ I'll be teasing you about this, right?" Sirius added with a smirk.

Harry groaned.

* * *

.

"…and now that everyone can cast the _Protego_ , here's the homework." Sirius said as the chairs and desks slid back into their previous locations. "By next lesson, I want you to be able to hold the shield for a full minute and strong enough to block no less than ten stinging hexes in that time. Now, since you all managed to cast the shield, I'm awarding a point for each of you who learned to cast the shield today and _two_ points to each of you who helped another to learn. I also want you to look up the variants of the shield charm. I don't expect you to _learn_ them, at least not until you start your NEWTs, that is, but I _do_ want you to be aware of them.  
"Now, since we have a few minutes left before the lesson ends, does anyone have any questions. It's fine if they're not lesson-related. Yes, Miss Patil? Ravenclaw Patil, that is."

"Sir… I was wondering about last year when you and Professor Flitwick burned what looked like a necklace…"

Sirius paused. "Ah, you saw that? Well, that was a cursed necklace and to break the curse, we had to destroy it. If the curse _hadn't_ been broken, then hundreds could have died because of it."

Parvati shivered slightly and Sirius looked round. "Anyone else?"

"Why did you become an Animagus?"

"Good question." Sirius replied. "You can blame Remus Lupin for that. As everyone now knows, he used to be a werewolf. When they are in their other form, werewolves reflexively attack humans and James and I didn't want to let him suffer alone, but were wary of his… _furry problem_. We sought a way to help him and so we became Animagi. Fortunately, James had access to a book that held a different and safer method than the Ministry recommends, but it took us over half a year to achieve it. And yes, for the older students who have grades good enough to be given the chance to learn, that will be the method they will use as well."

Several students looked interested and Sirius chuckled. "While I'm your DADA professor for this year only, I'll make sure the method remains available to those able to learn. Of course, there are other methods available, such as that used by the American Shamans and the Aboriginal Elders, but… the method that we Marauders used works and that's the main thing."

Before anyone could ask another question, the sound of the Hogwarts Bell echoed through the room.

"Okay everyone, pack up and head off." Sirius waved one hand in a lazy gesture. "Go on, your next lesson awaits and I'll see you next week."

.

"Isn't the _Protego_ meant to be a fifth-year spell?" Hermione mused as they made their way to the Charms classroom, going up a flight of stairs in order to go down one level. "I remember reading it…"

"It's probably my fault." Harry admitted. "I was researching the use of magic in history with his help and introduced him to the concept that if you don't know something's impossible, you have a chance of doing it. Heck, most _Accidental Magic_ is kids not knowing something can't be done and managing to do it…"

"That sounds… probable." Neville agreed.

"According to the history books he has, the real ones and not the sanitized ones that the Ministry of Magic approves of, most spells were developed as ways of duplicating what small children were capable of. The _Lumos_ spell is a notable exception, though. _That_ one was created by an Unspeakable due to insufficient lighting."

"I… didn't know that." Hermione admitted, then her gaze sharpened. "Hold on. _Sanitized_?"

"Sanitized." Harry confirmed as they moved to the side of the corridor to allow some pupils to pass in the other direction. "The Ministry likes to hide things, such as the fact that they _stole_ the engine for the Hogwarts Express and didn't give the workers who had built it any financial recompense because they were just Muggles and Memory Charms were easier."

"That's… that's… that's just…" Hermione failed to find the words she needed and Harry nodded.

"I know. Things like that are why they edit the history books, to stop people realizing how often the leaders of the past decided that just because they _could_ do something, it meant that they _should_ do it."

Hermione shook her head in disbelief. "Please tell me that they don't do that any more."

"Bagnold and Sirius." Harry countered and Hermione flinched. "They do it less, though, and it seems to be limited to the Magical World these days."

"That's _not_ very reassuring, Harry." Hermione replied sourly. "What's to stop them doing it again?"

"Communication." Harry replied, his normal humor vanishing from his voice. "The more communication there is, the more the leaders have to account for their decisions and thus the more they know that they _will_ be held responsible. That's why the Ministry keeps such a tight grip on the _Daily Prophet_."

Hermione winced.

"Of course, with the systems that Evans Enterprises is setting up, we'll soon have a multi-layer planetary datanet which _anyone_ with the right equipment can access. While the Muggle and Magical sections will be carefully separated, except for specific interface points, the mere fact that the datanet exists will quickly lead to either an attempt by the governments to clamp down hard on who and how it can be used, an attempt that _will_ fail, or will usher in a new age of accountability and responsibility."

"The Ministry is _not_ going to like that... whatever it is." Neville predicted as they came to a stop outside the Charms classroom.

"The Ministry is predominantly staffed by Purebloods who try to ignore anything new. By the time they realize the threat that my company poses to their corruption, it'll be too late." Harry smirked.

Several paces behind them, Draco Malfoy tilted his head slightly, his face blank as he considered what he had just heard.

* * *

.

"Nott."

Theodore looked up from the textbook that he was perusing.

"Malfoy."

"May I?" Malfoy motioned to the seat across from the table and Nott shrugged.

"Sure."

Malfoy slowly sat down, pulling his wand out by the tip and placing it on the table in front of him, handle towards Nott in the Pureblood gesture of nonaggression. Nott raised an eyebrow, then put his book down and followed suit.

"Nott, your father, before Potter slew him, had many allies in the Wizengamot and much of the Ministry. Have any of those allies contacted you?"

Theodore gave a slow nod. "Some have. Most are waiting for me to come of age before they decide on whether or not to re-affirm the alliances. May I ask why?"

"Potter is seeking to reduce the power of the Ministry." Draco stated, causing Nott to blink. "He's seeking to overturn most of the traditions that make our society what it is."

"How so?" Nott inquired after a moment.

"You may have heard about the phones that have been installed just off the other Houses common rooms, allowing the Muggleborn to contact their parents whenever they wish."

"So they can whinge to their parents." Nott shrugged. "I do not see the problem."

"The phones are but one problem, albeit a large portion of it." Draco continued. "With constant contact with their parents, Muggleborn will be less driven to adapt to the _proper_ ways of living. Not only that, they are likely to try and undermine our society, to twist and warp it until we are effectively reduced to being Muggles who happen to be able to cast spells, our lineages unimportant."

"You… are certain of this?"

"I heard Potter boasting about it to his friends." Draco growled. "I need to contact someone in power... preferably quietly and quickly"

Theodore frowned in thought before looking at Draco.

"I can get you in contact with one of the Undersecretaries, one who it is rumoured dislikes Potter immensely. You'll need to meet her in person…"

"My mother signed my Hogsmead permission slip." Draco noted.

"Then I will send word, but it will take a while for the meeting to be set up. Be ready."

Draco gave a nod that almost verged on being a bow before he reclaimed his wand and rose from his chair. Theodore watched him walk away, then turned back to his book.


	11. A Snake On The Grounds

"Harry…" Hermione prodded as she helped herself to the potatoes.

"Yes, Hermione?"

Hermione opened her mouth, then paused for a moment before motioning towards the pale-faced OWL students huddled together near the Teachers Table. "Any idea?"

Hagrid entered the hall and all the huddled fifth-year students as well as quite a few of the NEWT students flinched.

"Ah. Yep, I know what's going on." Harry nodded. "It's the favor that Hagrid asked me for. Perfectly safe."

"Harry… we have Care of Magical Beasts next lesson." Hermione pointed out as she sat down and started to help herself from the platters already on the table. "What did Hagrid ask you for… no. No, he didn't."

Harry grinned. "Yep, he did."

Hermione gave the huddled students a pitying glance. "No wonder they're so freaked out."

" _You_ were rather freaked the first time you met her." Harry pointed out.

"I got better!" Hermione protested, scooping up some of her food on her fork.

"True." Neville agreed, scooping up another spoonful of his soup. "Although I still remember Gran's expression when she came face-to-face with SssSthss."

Harry snorted with laughter at the memory, but since he was taking a sip of his drink at the time, the resulting spray was quite impressive. Neville wordlessly handed him a towel before scooping up a roll, tearing it in half and dipping it into his bowl.

"Thanks, Nev." Harry said gratefully as he finished mopping his face.

* * *

.

"Hey, everyone, welcome to yer first Care o' Magical Creatures lesson." Hagrid smiled. "Thanks ter Lord Potter here, we gotta _special_ guest."

"A Flobberworm?" Draco sneered from behind them. "Maybe a Puffske-IIIYYYAAAAAARGH!"

Draco's scream of abject terror was echoed by over half of the others as SssSthss slithered around from behind Hagrid's hut. Harry simply waved.

"Hello, SssSthss! Enjoying yourself?"

"Very much, thankss." The Basilisk replied, the afternoon sun glinting off her headpiece. "Sso, thesse are your newesst sstudentss?"

"That they are, SssSthss, that they are." Hagrid confirmed as several of the students slowly extracted themselves from various bushes or nervously emerged from behind the nearby fence, their faces reflecting their terror, disbelief and slowly-emerging curiosity. "Students, this lovely lady is SssSthss, who works for Lord Potter as part of his security force. SssSthss, these are the third-year students who chose to take lessons in caring fer Magical Creatures like yerself."

"Delighted to meet you all." SssSthss gave a dip of her head that was somewhat reminiscent of a curtsy.

"Now…" Hagrid's voice changed slightly as he entered his lecture mode. "Basilisks are known as the King of Serpents, or Queen in SssSthss's case, and are created by a verra specific magical rite. Since, until recently at least, only Parselmouths could communicate with Basilisks, actually creating a Basilisk is highly illegal, though ownin' one is jest fine. Now, the gaze of a Basilik can kill, but if reflected or filtered through glass or something similar, it only petrifies. SssSthss here is wearing a special magical-shield over her eyes that means that she can't kill or petrify with a glance as long as it's active, meaning that all you have to worry about are her fangs and powerful tail.  
"A Basilisk's fangs… SssSthss?"

SssSthss opened her jaws to reveal a set of fangs almost as long as Harry's arm.

"Thank you. Now, Basilisks fangs contain special channels that allow them to inject poison. In addition, the strength of their bodies means that a blow from their tail can shatter a wall with a single blow.  
"Shed Basilisk skin is too rigid to be used in armor, but can resist almost any spell, making it the preferred material fer the walls of high-end dueling chambers…"

Harry let Hagrid's words wash over him as he watched SssSthss pose for her audience, luxuriating in the attention she was getting.

.

"Who knew that she was such an… _exhibitionist_?" Hermione shook her head in amused wonder as they headed up the hill back to Hogwarts.

"She likes to be admired." Harry shrugged, glancing back to where Hagrid was happily rubbing a special oil into SssSthss's scales, causing them to shine as the Basilisk all but purred under his ministrations. "Given that she spent centuries sleeping in a cold, dank cave, I think she's simply making up for lost time."

Hermione gave him a disbelieving look but on her other side, Neville simply nodded.

"Makes sense. I know I'd be wanting to do as much stuff as possible if I'd been stuck underground for centuries."

Hermione let out a sound somewhere between a groan and a growl as she rolled her eyes.

.

Draco glanced back at where that insufferable falsely-ennobled oaf masquerading as a teacher was fussing over the overgrown flobberworm that Potter called his pet.

Apparently, the snake had been created by Slazar Slytherin himself and placed in the Chamber of Secrets underneath Hogwarts until the Dark Lord had found it and claimed it as his own, intending to make it serve its true purpose, eradicating the plague of Muggleborns seeking to destroy the perfection of the Wizarding World under the guise of _improving_ or _modernising_ it. Unfortunately, Potter had undone all of Lord Voldemort's hard work and now the Wizarding World was on the verge of being twisted and perverted into something that was unrecognizable to all right-minded individuals.

Such a thing was not to be allowed.

"That was… _interesting_." Nott finally said, his voice still slightly shaky.

"It was." Draco agreed, curious as to where Nott intended to take the conversation.

"I had no idea that Potter could have something like _that_ working for him." Nott admitted, then he glanced round to check that only Crabbe and Goyle were nearby. "I'm not going to do _anything_ that could be taken as an attack on Potter, not while he has _that_ on his side. Oh, I'll help you make all the connections you want, but if you try anything that could be construed as _direct_ action…"

"I understand." Draco nodded and Nott returned it before speeding up, heading faster towards the security of the castle.

"Crabbe, Goyle." Draco commanded and both hulking boys straightened up. "We need to find a way to kill a Basilisk."

The two boys looked at each other in confusion.

"I think the library would be a good place to start." Draco continued.

"Um, Draco, what's a library?"

Draco almost stumbled at the question.

.

"There we go!" Hagrid announced, returning the cloth to his pocket as he stepped back to admire how SssSthss almost sparkled in the afternoon sunlight. "All nice an' shiny! Looks like yer gonna be shedding soon, though…"

"I'll make ssure that you get my old sskin." SssSthss rubbed her snout against Hagrid in a gesture of affection.

"We get the fourth an' sixth years tomorrow." Hagrid noted as he started to walk towards his hut, SssSthss sliding along beside him, her long body weaving from side to side as she accompanied him. ""I got a nice, plump bull fer yer by me hut an' a one-room Wizarding tent, got it lovely an' warm fer you, covered the floor wiv mattresses to make it comfy. Hope I got it right…"

"I am ssure it'll be fine." SssSthss reassured the half-giant, then her eyes caught the brown-and-white bull lying in the field. "Iss that…?"

"It's a _Polled Hereford_ , no horns." Hagrid nodded. "Stunned it meself an' sprinkled it wiv parsley an' sage, jest like Harry sed…"

Hagrid trailed off as SssSthss accelerated past him, moving far faster than most people could sprint.

"Beautiful." He whispered as she coiled herself around the stunned bull, ready to swallow it. "Jest beautiful…"

* * *

.

SssSthss raised her head as the bell hanging outside the tent-flap was stuck. Inhaling, she let the airflow pass over her tongue and then she carefully rearranged her coils.

"Hello, Harry."

"Hello, SssSthss." Harry smiled as he slipping into the tent, meeting her gaze fearlessly.

"Come to ssleep on your favorite bed?" The giant serpent teased and Harry laughed.

"You got me." He admitted as he stepped onto her proffered tail and let her lift him up so that he could step into her coils.

"Yess, I do, indeed." Sssthss lay her head back down, altering her position slightly to support Harry better as he threw his robe to one side, revealing his pajamas, then unrolled a blanket and pulled it over himself, wriggling a bit before relaxing into the angle formed by two adjacent coils.

"Goodnight, SssSthss." He mumbled, already half-asleep.

"Goodnight… masster." SssSthss replied quietly before closing her own eyes and allowing sleep to claim her also.

* * *

.

"How big is America?" Peter asked as he peered out through the window of the motor-home. "I mean, we've been driving for _days_."

"Oh, America is about forty times larger than the United Kingdom." Gellert supplied. "While it has a very good network of highways, the rail system is incredibly lacking by comparison, all the trains are slow with no real high-speed capability."

"Forty times bigger than the UK?" Peter breathed in awe, his eyes wide.

"Indeed, which means that we still have several thousand miles to go." Voldemort stated from the drivers seat. "It's a good thing that you all know how to drive."

"Charming the fuel-tank to be ever-full helped as well." Gellert added. "That and the fact that the tent-rooms have working bathrooms, so we don't need to stop to empty the waste tank."

Peter wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Theres actually a tank here to store… _yeuch_! Muggles are _filthy_."

"Peter!" Voldemort snapped and the rat animagus flinched. "We will be recruiting those who think of themselves _as_ Muggles! Keep those opinions silent for now, we cannot risk angering the _Obscurials_ and causing them to turn their power against us! While we may survive the wrath of one, should we succeed in acquiring more, we will be outnumbered and overpowered should we anger them!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Excellent." Voldemort's voice lost the sharpness that had infused it, but Peter could still hear the warning beneath. "Gellert, are we close enough for a reading yet?"

"Oh, my, yes." Gellert looked up from the open wooden box in his lap, a box which contained a large number of cogwheels which surrounded a set of floating rings that gave Peter a headache whenever he looked at them.

"Sir…" Barty asked diffidently. "If I may ask…"

"Oh, by all means." Gellert responded jovially. "You wish to know about this device I am using, yes?"

Barty nodded and Gellert looked down at the device.

"This, my boy, is my _Obscurial_ Detector. It works by detecting the ripples of magic caused by an _Obscurial_ activating their power."

"And… how does it detect the ripples, sir?" Barty prompted.

"Oh, that's the clever part." Gellert chuckled. "The rings in the middle react to the ripples. As you can see, the smallest ring is on the outside, the largest is in the inside and all rings rotate both outside and inside each other simultaneously. It took me quite some time to make this when I was younger, I was so pleased to find that the stasis spell had preserved it.

"As for showing _where_ the _Obscurials_ are, that's what the cogwheels are for. They take the changing movements of the rings and turn them into directions displayed by the arrows in the lid, giving me direction and distance to up to four _Obscurials_ at once."

"Incredible." Barty breathed and Gellert's smile broadened.

"Oh, yes. I have high hopes that this device will allow us to do what I had planned to do before my old friend defeated me. It took over half the Aurors in New York to counter the one scared and untrained _Obscurial_ there. Imagine having a _dozen_ of them, taught not to flee from using their power, but to _embrace_ it, to learn to summon their mage-forms at will and direct their efforts against the targets that _we_ dictate! My friends, once we have acquired our little pets, the Ministry of Magic will find itself helpless before us!"

The laughter of the four men tailed behind the motor-home as it continued south on its long journey.


	12. A Different Beast

"Mornin' all!" Hagrid waved cheerfully as the third-year students approached his hut, most of them giving nervous glances at the surrounding area as if expecting SssSthss to pounce them at any instant. "What are ye… Ahhhh! SssSthss is havin' a nap in th'tent, so yeh won't be seein' her."

Over half the students sagged in relief while Harry, Hermione and Neville all struggled not to laugh.

"Anyways, I gotta 'nother treat fer yer all. Follow me!"

Hagrid led the gaggle of students around his hut and paused, motioning to a large animal that was glaring at them, its wings unfurling and refolding as its clawed feet pawed the earth.

"Meet Buckbeak." Hagrid stated proudly. "Bin helping him ter heal up. Buckbeak here's a hippogriff. As yeh can all see, a Hippogriff is part bird an' part horse. Dey eat insects by preference, but small critters an' birds also make part of their diet. When they mate, they build nests on the ground an' lay a single egg which 'atches a day later. By the time a week has passed, the young'un's developed enough ter fly, but it takes several months to build the stamina it needs ter follow it's parents on long journeys.  
"Now, as ye can all see, de Hippogriff's feathers cover its head and…"

Harry watched Buckbeak slowly calm down as Hagrid started to carefully scratch him behind one ear-tuft. As the half-giant continued to give his lecture, Buckbeak finally succumbed to the scritching and lay down, grumbling happily.

.

"…so there ye have it." Hagrid finished, looking round, then down at the happy Hippogriff. "Now ye're all prob'ly getting' bored jest listenin ter me goin' on, so it's time fer some hands-on. Now, Hippogriffs are proud creatures, they don' like ter be disrespected. Sure, they'll allow those they respect ter touch 'em an' even ride 'em, but yer gotta get their respec' first… Harry! Yer up fer this?"

"Sure thing, Hagrid." Harry stepped forwards, looking at the Hippogriff who had pulled himself back up to his paws.

"Now, approach to about… ten feet an' keep eye contact, then bow. Slowly… slowly…"

Harry walked towards Buckbeak, then paused as Hagrid started to raise his hand. Focusing on Buckbeak's eyes, Harry raised his hands to his chest, cupping his fist into his other hand and bowed as a student bows to a master, never breaking his gaze. Buckbeak's eyes narrowed slightly, then the Hippogriff lowered his head in what was unmistakably a bow, causing Harry to release the breath that he hadn't realised that he had been holding.

"Well done, Harry." Hagrid stepped back a pace, motioning for Harry to take his place. "Now that Buckbeak's accepted yeh, give him a good scratching behind his ear-tuft. He loves that."

Harry carefully worked his fingers into the feathers and Buckbeak grumbled with pleasure as he shoved his head into Harry's hand.

"His feathers are so soft…" Harry marvelled and Hagrid chuckled.

"Aye, that they are. Shed Hippogriff feathers make the _best_ pillows."

"I'm sure they… whoah!"

Harry snatched his hand back as Buckbeak suddenly side-stepped, bumping into him and Hagrid chuckled.

"He wants to give ye a ride. Hop on, tuck your knees under his wing-joints an' lean forwards."

Harry clambered onto the Hippogriff and leaned forwards, reaching out to stabilise himself and Buckbeak galloped forwards, wings extending before the ground seemed to fall away beneath them. Buckbeak's wings rose again, then they surged forwards and Harry let out a whoop of excitement.

"This! Is! Incredible!"

Buckbeak let out a screech as he wheeled round and Harry laughed in delight. For several moments, they soared above the Hogwarts grounds, then Hagrid waved up to them.

"I think he wants us to head back down!" Harry called and Buckbeak pulled his wings in, turning his glide into a plummet. The world grew rapidly as they sliced downwards, then Buckbeak's wings snapped out, throwing Harry against Buckbeak's back as the Hippogriff turned his dive into a swoop which transitioned seamlessly into a landing trot, coming to a halt just beside Hagrid. Harry waited until Buckbeak had stopped before sliding off his back and offering another ear-tuft-scratch which Buckbeak imperiously accepted.

"That was incredible." Harry breathed. "Thank you, Buckbeak."

Buckbeak half-turned and ran his beak gently through Harry's hair, causing Hagrid to chuckle.

"Looks like yer got a friend there, Harry. Okay, Buckbeak, that's enough fer now, let him join the others. Who's next?"

"If Potter can do it, it can't be too hard." Draco sneered as he strutted forwards. "That feather-duster's meant to be scary? Pssssh."

Buckbeak hissed at the Slytherin and Hagrid slowly moved his hand to his belt-holster.

"In fact, you're little more than an overgrown Fwooper." Draco continued and Buckbeak lunged at him with a predatorial screech. Draco jumped back as Buckbeak's claws scythed through the air and his beak slammed shut…  
…on Harry's hastily-interposed arm.

For a long moment, everyone froze, Draco sprawled on the ground where Harry had shoved him and Hagrid with his wand halfway out of its holster, then Harry placed his free hand against Buckbeak's chest.

"He's not worth it, Buckbeak." Harry said as Buckbeak tried to push against him. "Leave him."

"Aye, leave him." Hagrid rumbled and Buckbeak finally released his grip on Harry's arm. "As for you, Malfoy, from now on, yer either gonna stay at the back or yer outta the class! If you can't follow instructions, yer gonna end up with less limbs than Perfesser Kettleburn had when he retired!"

Draco swallowed as Crabbe and Goyle pulled him to his feet.

"That… that _thing_ is _dangerous_!"

"Aye." Hagrid agreed. "Buckbeak can be, iffen yer _stupid_ enough ter anger him. Yer choice, Malfoy. Back row or back out. Either way, ye've just lost yer House ten points fer bein' a moron!"

Draco glared at Hagrid, then turned and strode off, fists clenched while Crabbe and Goyle followed him. Hagrid and the others watched him go, Buckbeak giving a quiet hiss, then Hagrid turned to Harry.

"That was a nasty nip Buckbeak gave yer. I think yer gonna need ta visit Madam Pomphrey… or not?"

Harry raised his arm to show that it was unmarked. "I think Buckbeak realized in time that it _wasn't_ Draco that he was biting."

"Huh. Well, 'ow about that." Hagrid wondered. "Okay, let me calm Buckbeak down a bit, then we can try again. Who wants to be next?"

* * *

.

"I wonder what Malfoy intended to try to do? Even for him, that seemed stupid." Neville wondered as they made their way back to Hogwarts, Hermione holding a long feather in her hand.

"Not sure." Harry frowned. "I mean, Hagrid's an official Professor _and_ a Wizengamot member these days, so he's got far more political pull than Draco has."

"But Draco's… still only _Heir_ Malfoy." Neville realized. "Huh. Politics is out, so are most of his _legal_ options given he's not a Lord yet and Hagrid is… why _did_ the Wizengamot give him that Lordship anyway? Surely just declaring him innocent and giving him wand-rights back should have been enough… Harry, why are you looking so innocent?"

"Hey, Sirius helped!" Harry protested. "All _I_ did was ask if I should take SssSthss to the Chamber to give testimony. It was my dogfather who pushed for him to get the Gaunt House as recompense… I don't think most of the Wizengamot actually realized that the Gaunts were Hereditary members of the Wizengamot who had simply not claimed their Seats due to their inbred beliefs of superiority and the fact that quite a few members of the Wizengamot were technically halfbloods."

"Bigots." Neville shook his head. "Hey, Hermione? Are you with us?"

Hermione jolted, looking up from her examination of the shed wingfeather that Buckbeak had given her. "Huh? What? What are we talking about?"

Harry and Neville burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Hermione pouted. "Why are you laughing at me?"

"Don't worry." Harry shook his head as Hermione glared at him. "So, why do _you_ think Draco was acting up like that? It doesn't seem as cunning as normal for him…"

Hermione frowned as she pondered the problem, examining it from as many different angles as possible.

"If Draco got injured, his mother would be on the warpath…" She mused. "She might even get Hagrid fired if she tried hard enough… especially with her confirmed link to the Black family..."

"True." Neville agreed. "I wonder who would be next in line to take over the job… Gran said that Kettleburn declared that he was never returning, so… let's see. It would have to be someone with at least a NEWT in CoMC, more likely a Mastery. There aren't that many Mastery-holders outside the Dragon Preserves…"

"I think there's a list of Masteries in the Library." Hermione interrupted. "We can go there and see who is listed."

"Sounds like a plan." Harry agreed. "Let's get a quick meal, then we can check before Ancient Runes starts."

.

"The plan failed." Draco growled as he stomped towards Hogwarts.

"That thing cudda hurt ya." Crabbe offered and Draco chuckled, half-turning and opening his robe.

"Dragonskin tunic with a high collar and elbow-length sleeves, Crabbe. All I would have suffered would be a broken arm at worst before Hagrid pulled that beast away and Pomphrey would have fixed me up within a day or so... but it would have been enough to get one of dad's old allies in. Having a teacher I can actually _trust_ would make moving against Potter so much easier…"

"What about Snape?" Goyle rumbled and Draco scoffed.

"Snape's loyalties are… uncertain. The Dark Lord doesn't trust him."

Draco's minions exchanged looks of confusion, then Goyle spoke up.

"Ummm, weren't Lockhart _pretending_ to be Him?"

"No, the Dark Lord possessed Lockhart." Draco sighed. "He's got a new body now and is seeking new allies. When he returns, it will be to claim victory and avenge our fathers!"

"Why did you try to get attacked?" Crabbe asked and Draco facepalmed.

"Because if we can get Hagrid fired, Walden MacNair will be the obvious choice to replace him and _he_ can make sure Snape is loyal… or eliminate him if he isn't. Now, come on! Let's get some food, then I need to write a letter!"

* * *

.

In the office for the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Animals, Walden Macnair sat in his cubicle, cleaning his favorite axe and awaiting his next task. A hoot caught his attention and he looked up.

"Huh, you look like a Hogwarts owl." he mused as he put his axe on his desk and stood up, reaching out to take the proffered letter. As he stretched out, his left sleeve rode up slightly to reveal a flash of a dark tattoo. Retrieving the letter, he sat down again and unfolded the parchment.

* * *

_To Walden Macnair_

_I must inform you that the attempt to stain Hagrid's reputation and force him to resign, thus clearing the way for you to assume his position, has failed due to the interference of Harry Potter._

_Although I will continue to attempt to cast Hagrid's ability to act as a Professor in doubt, he is now aware of my efforts (although not the reason for them) and will undoubtedly take action to counter my plans. Nevertheless, I shall do my best to ensure that you can enter Hogwarts and do your work as our Master dictated._

_Yours respectfully,_

_Draco Malfoy_

_Lord Apparent Malfoy_

_For The Pure._

* * *

Macnair slowly refolded the letter and tucked it into his robe as his gaze unfocused and his memory returned to the battle that had marked the sudden ending of the inevitable victory of the Purebloods over those who sought to undo all that was right about the Wizarding World.

Only his oft-mocked insistence on maintaining his physical fitness at peak condition (including small sips of Re'em blood each week to raise his strength) had allowed him to break free of the panicked mob and flee into the woods as forces loyal to that halfblood bastard Potter has massacred most of those who were of superior breeding.

Picking up his axe, Walden stroked the edge, imagining swinging it high and bringing it down to decapitate the one who fairly solid rumor claimed had slain his Master, sending Potter's head rolling into the dirt and sending a message to the Mudbloods and Muggles that they were nothing more than victims waiting to be selected.

He looked forwards to that glorious day.


	13. Animal Antics

"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked as she entered the common room and Neville looked up from the book he was reading.

"He's already had breakfast and joined Professor Sirius, Professor Lupin and Jinelle Shafiq outside. It's Saturday, Professor Black's doing his _Registered Animagi of Hogwarts_ thing. Look out the window, you'll see them."

Before Hermione could move, Luna dashed past her and flung the window open, leaning out so far that Ginny, who was hot on her heels, had to grab the back of her robes to prevent her from falling.

"There they are!" Luna pointed as Hermione joined them, reaching out to help pull the younger girl back to a safer position. "Over there, you see them?"

Hermione followed Luna's pointing finger and her eyes lit on four canines gallivanting around as several pupils watched them from a distance, the canine quarter being a white dog, a black dog and two wolves, one quite a bit larger than the other.

"I wonder if Headmistre… _there she is_!"

Hermione's eyes widened in shock as a tabby cat launched itself out of a bush and bounced off the black dog as it bounded past, knocking it off-balance so that it ended up sprawled on the grass, its paws waving comically in the air.

"Wha… bu… she… huh?"

"Probably payback for some of the pranks Professor Black pulled when he was a student here." Neville mused from beside her.

Hermione gave the distant animals a long, contemplative look and Neville shook his head slightly before leaning towards her so that he could explain quietly.

"Hermione, it's bad enough to the more traditional Purebloods that a Muggleborn is outdoing them scholastically. If you reveal that _you_ are an animagi, they will take action against you and your parents, both legal and otherwise. Their pride would demand no less."

Hermione gave a slow nod of reluctant agreement, then raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"Aren't you…?"

"Not until I come of Age." Neville replied with a wry smile. "Or at least not until I pass my OWLs."

"Same here." Ginny grumped, watching the canine quartet with a wistful expression. "My mother would go mad if she found out about… LUNA!"

The blond girl had taken advantage of the distraction and hurled herself out of the window. As she fell, her form rippled and then she soared into the air.

"…and of course, since everyone thinks she's slightly strange anyway, she can get away with it." Ginny grumbled as the Ravenclaws behind them scrambled to the windows, eyes wide in amazement as they watched the second-year soar.

"I'll escort her to the DMLE this afternoon to get her registered." Filius offered from behind them, causing the trio to jolt in shock and Ginny to almost tumble out of the window before Neville pulled her back. "And Miss Granger, as much as it pains me to admit it, Mr Longbottom is correct as to why you should keep your form secret for now."

Hermione nodded in unwilling agreement with Filius' quiet addendum.

.

Draco Malfoy's fingers whitened as he read the morning's Daily Prophet.

_**Malfoys Now Second!** _

_By Rita Skeeter_

_For several decades now, the Malfoy family has been regarded  
_ _as being the wealthiest of all Wizarding Households, holding on  
_ _to one Galleon in ten of the cash reserves of the Wizarding World._

_Although they are still the wealthiest in terms of pure money, it is  
_ _no longer true that they are the wealthiest overall._

_Once one includes property, business ownership and income that  
_ _is derived from Patents and sales, the Malfoys are now firmly in  
_ _second place with the Potter Family (sole surviving member being  
_ _Harry James Potter – aka The-Boy-Who-Lived) having overtaken  
_ _them and still getting richer._

_But how did he get so wealthy, you may ask._

_Part of the wealth can be attributed to the Basilisk that Harry Potter  
_ _managed to tame and teach how to speak. The Basilisk in question  
_ _not only acts as a most impressive security guard at The Pottery (the  
_ _rebuilt traditional mansion of the Potter Family) but provides income  
_ _via the selling of Basilisk Venom and shed Basilisk Skin, the former in  
_ _high demand by potioneers while the latter is the preferred material  
_ _for covering the walls of dueling chambers and ritual rooms._

_That by itself would bring in a quite considerable of money, but Lord  
_ _Potter has set up a company called_ Evans Enterprises _which takes its  
_ _name from Lord Potters mother, Lily Potter nee Evans. The company  
_ _specializes in communication and work in both Wizarding and Muggle  
_ _societies, although it ensures that the Muggle world does not become  
_ _aware of the Wizarding world._

 _The most recent action taken by_ Evans Enterprises _is the installation  
_ _of modified_ telephones _in Hogwarts, allowing Muggleborn children  
_ _to contact their parents without having to rely on Owl Post since the  
_ _Muggles do not have access or the ability to use the Floo system…_

Slamming the paper down, Draco tried to calm himself, but his efforts were set to naught by the damned _Boy-who-lived_ and his sickeningly sycophantic entourage entering the Great Hall. His fingers twitched with the desire to pull out his wand and start hexing, but the presence of several teachers was enough to convince him to wait for a better opportunity. Instead, he rose from his seat and stalked out of the Great Hall, not even caring that his minions were too busy eating to pay attention to where he was.

.

Narcissa paused mid-bite as her mirror chimed, then she sighed and put down her toast. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the communication mirror and spoke the activation word.

"Draco."

The mirror clouded and then the image of her son appeared on it.

" _Mother… have you read today's Daily Prophet?"_

Narcissa turned the mirror to show Draco the newspaper still folded on one side of the table, its restraining ribbon obviously untouched, then turned it back to face her. "What happened?"

" _We are no longer the richest family, mother. Potter has more wealth than us."_

"I… what?" Narcissa shook her head. "That can't be right. The last time we visited our account manager, he confirmed that we still owned more than one-tenth of the Galleons in circulation. The economy would have collapsed if anyone else did the same."

" _That's because while we own a tenth of all the_ Galleons _, Potter owns several entire businesses."_ Draco countered. _"If the value of the businesses is taken into account, he owns more than us."_

Narcissa frowned. "But… how could he… Draco, we own stock in several companies including the Prophet."

" _And Potter has his company working in the Muggle world too!"_

"That shouldn't be possible." Narcissa stated. "The Statute of Secrecy keeps the two worlds separate, but if Lord Potter is trying to sidestep it... I'll look into it. If it turns out that he's putting our world at risk…"

Draco smirked as his mother ended the connection.

If Potter was doing anything that resembled risking the Wizarding World, his mother would find out and then the damned Scarhead would be put in his proper place.

Perferably in Azkaban…  
…which was still a bad place, even though there were only two Dementors stationed there these days.

* * *

.

"Welcome to the Animagi Registration Office." The beaten-down-looking man behind the desk droned. "My name is Krystopher Thistlewhaite. Are you here to register an Animagus form?"

"Yep." Luna chirped and the man sighed as he pulled a form out of the desk, then rose from his chair to grab a camera from the shelf.

"Please stand on the platform and demonstrate your form, unless you need more space or a special environment such as water or fire." He recited. Luna hopped onto the indicated stone platform and a moment later, a red-headed crane was preening. The man took a picture, then waved to the desk.

"Do you know what your form is called?"

"I call it Skydancer!" Luna giggled and the man sighed.

"What _type_ of animal is it?"

"Luna Lovegood can take the form of a red-headed crane." Filius supplied from his position by the door and the man paused.

"Lovegood? As in Xenophilius Lovegood?"

"He's my father." Luna confirmed and the man gave a slight smile.

"I enjoy reading his magazine."

"Daddy will be happy to hear that!"

* * *

.

The vulture glided on the thermals caused by the massed caravans below, its eyes peering at the slowly-quieting trailer park and the area of it that had once been full of caravans but was now full of broken wood and metal that was slowly being cleared away. Several drunkards staggered back towards their homes but movement in a collapsed shed caught the bird's attention and it swooped down, landing lightly just in front of the dilapidated structure.

Glancing round, the bird hopped forwards, then it rippled and expanded upwards, turning from a bird of prey into a jovial-looking elderly male.

"Hello there, little one."

In the corner of the shed, what had appeared to have been a pile of discarded canvas shifted, part of it lifting up to allow a pair of eyes to peak out suspiciously.

"Do you mind if I sit?" The man asked as he lowered himself to the ground. "My old bones don't do all that well these days. Perhaps I can interest you in some food?"

The eyes sharpened as the man pulled a small box out from his coat pocket, then unfolded it and unfolded it again. Within the space of a minute, the box had been enlarged into a small cloth-covered table, then the man lifted the cloth off to reveal several filled plates, jugs and glasses that couldn't possibly have been underneath the fabric.

"Magic, young one." He smiled at the shocked watcher. "My name is Gellert Grindlewald and I am what many would call a Wizard. It is my task to seek out those who have power and offer them new lives away from those who would harm them, such as those short-sighted fools who work for the government."

The canvas-shrouded figure slowly moved towards the table. As it entered the light from the lantern on the table, Gellert was able to see the bruises which covered part of the young boy's barely-clad body.

"Help yourself, but eat _slowly_. If you eat too fast, you will give yourself a stomach-ache."

The boy reached out and then pulled his hand back quickly, but Gellert simply smiled at him again.

"Eat, drink and relax. We will not be disturbed and although I wish to speak with you, I believe that it can wait until the pangs of hunger no longer trouble you."

The boy grabbed one of the sandwiches and crammed it into his mouth as Gellert sat in as nonthreatening manner as he could. After several minutes, the boy slowed down and gave Gellert a measuring look.

"Why me?"

"Because you have a power greater even than mine." Gellert shrugged. "A power that many magic users fear and seek to destroy. A power known as _Obscurial_.  
"As you saw, I can change and take wing, but you… you have the ability to change into a form of pure Magic, a form which makes you unbeatable and unstoppable… if the local Mages allow you to live long enough to learn how to _use_ your power instead of having it use you. They hate _Obscurials_ and one of their laws is that all _Obscurials_ must die. They will eventually find you and wait for you to fall asleep before killing you, giving you no chance to fight back. However, my allies and myself… we can help you learn to control your power and use it to make a new life for yourself… away from the Mages of America.  
"Have you ever wondered what it would be like to become an Earl or Baron of England? To live in a mansion with staff seeing to your every need? To be _admired_ for what you can do rather than feared?"

The boy's eyes lit up and Gellert knew that he had his first weapon.

"Do you wish to use the name you were given at birth, or do you wish a new name?"

The boy looked thoughtful, then he gave the nod of someone making a decision.

"Call me… Kirk. James Kirk."

"As you wish, James." Gellert pulled himself to his feet and waved his wand, causing the table (and the few pieces of food still on it) to fold back down until it was once more simply a small box no larger than the palm of his hand. Scooping it up, Gellert pocketed it, then gave James a questioning look.

"So, do you wish to come with me, or would you prefer to make your own way through life with the Mages chasing you?"

"I'll come with you… for now." James tried to sound mature and Gellert smiled.

"Then come with me and we shall see about getting you some new clothes."

"Can I grab my comics first?"

"Of course."

James grinned as he followed the elderly gentleman into the night.


	14. Of Truths And interpretations

"It's… legal?"

" _It is."_ Narcissa confirmed through the mirror. _"It comes very close to the edge in places, but Evans Enterprises hasn't actually_ broken _any of our laws that either I or our soliciters can find. I know it took us almost a month to check, longer than I had originally thought, but we had to be thorough."_

"That's… how?" Draco demanded crossly.

" _I don't know."_ Narcissa shrugged. _"Every time we looked at any part of their company, it seemed to be breaking the_ Statute of Secrecy _, but whenever we looked closer, we realized that it was actually_ reinforcing _it."_

Draco growled.

" _I'm sending you a copy of my investigations by owl, it should arrive in a little while."_ Narcissa continued, then she looked at her son. _"Draco… don't do anything rash. I've already lost my husband, don't make me bury my son as well."_

"I know, mother." Draco said gently. "I have no intention of following my father's unfortunate example."

Narcissa gave him a gentle smile.

" _Be careful, my son."_

Draco nodded as the mirror clouded over, clearing to show his own reflection. Pocketing it, he strode out of his room and down to the common room where he sat down beside Theodore Nott. The Slytherin finished writing the paragraph he was working on, then looked up at Draco.

"You wanted something?"

"You told me that you have contacts." Draco stated. "I need to make contact with someone high in the government who shares our values, one who is willing to do what is _right_ instead of what is easy… or even lawful."

Theo frowned in thought.

"When do you wish to meet… this person?" He finally asked.

"I expect some documentation to arrive later, so… this weekend would be the best time, preferably in Hogsmead."

"You'll want to avoid the Hog's Head as the owner is Aberforth Dumbledore, the brother of our former Headmaster." Theodore mused. "The Three Broomsticks is so popular with the older students, so you'd be noticed there and you'll need secrecy. Madam Puddifoot's, from what I heard, is most certainly _not_ a place to meet, which means… the only real place you can meet is at _The Immaculate Line_."

Draco blinked. "Where?"

" _The Immaculate Line_." Theodore repeated. "It's located in the alley behind Madam Puddifoot's and is located in a cellar behind a grey door with the picture of a staff on the door. My father took me there once to introduce me to his allies. It's where those who truly appreciate the old ways meet when they're in Hogsmead."

"Sounds like it will be perfect." Draco agreed. "Do it."

* * *

.

"Goodbye Joyful Acres." James Kirk sneered as the last portion of the trailer park vanished into the distance.

"It'll take a couple of days to reach our next potential recruit." Voldemort said from the front of the vehicle. "Fortunately, we are prepared."

"I'll get some sleep so that I'll be ready to take over driving later, my Lord." Barty offered and Voldemort gave an approving nod.

"Good. Inquisitor, perhaps you could check the map, I think we should pick up something at a drive-through. For some reason, I have this sudden urge for chicken pieces."

"Yes, my Lord." Pettigrew squeaked.

"In the meantime, do you wish to borrow a book, James?"

"Nope, I have a comic I've been meaning to read since I picked it up last Saturday." James waved the booklet in question before putting it on the small table. "In the last issue, Omni-Man introduced his son to the League."

"This sounds interesting." Gellert half-turned in his seat. "League?"

"The Justice League." James held the comic up, showing the characters on the front cover. "Hawkgirl can fly and uses a special mace that can destroy anything magical, the Flash is the fastest man alive, Batman has no powers but is a keen detective and martial artist, Wonder Woman is super-strong, can fly and can deflect anything with her bracelets, Green Lantern can create anything from pure willpower, Martian Manhunter is a telepathic shapeshifting alien and Omni-Man is the heaviest-hitter of the League being a Viltrumite, an invulnerable flying super-strong alien. His son is half-Viltrumite and has the same powers to almost the same levels, but is new to heroing so needs to learn from the others…"

As James explained the characters and concept, Voldemort made mental notes on how the same ideas could be used to further cement his ability to command his super-weapons-to-be.

After all, convincing the young ones that their actions were for the greater good would make it far harder for anyone to persuade them otherwise at a later date.

And with the sheer power that _Obscurials_ represented, that was most certainly not a consideration to be taken lightly…

* * *

.

Draco stepped through the door and into the surprisingly dingy bar, glancing round with growing disgust. The floor was covered in half-rotted rushes rather than being wood, stone or even packed earth, fragments of food visible in the meagre light from the few lanterns that hung from the chains descending from the rafters. The barkeeper stood behind a plank of unfinished wood balanced on two beer kegs, a stout cudgel by one hand and a wand clasped in the other. Unidentifiable bottles were fixed almost randomly to the wall behind him, many of them filled with cloudy liquids or encrusted with grime.

Gathering his self-control, Draco strode forwards, making his way to the corner table where a cloaked witch sat with a goblet of something he would hesitate to label as a drink in front of her. Sliding into the seat opposite her, he looked up and for a moment, thought that he was looking at a pink toad.

"Madam Umbridge, I presume?" He asked hesitantly and the witch nodded.

"Lord-Apparent Malfoy. My condolences, the loss of your father to that murderer was a great blow to our society. It is such a shame that charges were not pressed."

Draco leaned forwards, pulling a folder out from under his cloak and sliding it forwards. Umbridge took it and opened it, eyes darting across the pages with practised efficiency as she absorbed the information. After a few moments, she closed the file and frowned.

"I am sorry, but although this is concerning, it doesn't _quite_ break the law."

"By itself, no." Draco agreed, his fists clenching. "Or at least, it doesn't _seem_ to break the law. The half-blood Potter is quite sneaky in that regard, but I am sure that someone who could look deeper would find something they could use."

Umbridge tilted her head slightly and a cruel smile settled on her lips. "Indeed. Why, an in-depth investigation could turn up all _manner_ of issues… couldn't it?"

"That is what I suspect." Draco agreed. "At the very least, I think it may contravene certain _regulations_ …"

"The fines could be quite steep." Umbridge purred as the folder vanished into her own cloak. "And as you were the one to bring this… malefactor to my attention, you would undoubtably be rewarded."

Draco inclined his head slightly and Umbridge continued.

"It may take a while, but I am sure that justice will be served."

.

Theodore watched Draco enter the common room and raised an eyebrow.

"I feel as if I need a shower." Draco grumbled as he passed the other boy. "A long one. That witch was just…"

"My father often told me that he felt she would have been a good follower, had she not been so loyal to Fudge." Theodore commented quietly. "He never discovered why she was so loyal, but he did say that there was no evidence at all of them having an affair."

"I'm not certain that I want to know." Draco shuddered. "The mere _thought_ of someone trying to have an affair with _her_ …"

Draco shuddered, then scurried off, looking rather sickened. Theodore watched him go, then returned to writing the Transfiguration essay that he had been working on.

* * *

.

Harry slammed onto the ground, sliding for a few feet on his back as his wand pinwheeled out of his grasp. Before he could use the remaining momentum to roll to his feet, conjured ropes enveloped him, holding him motionless.

"Not bad." Filius noted as he strolled over, the only sign of his recent exertions being that his heart was beating slightly faster than normal. "You really are improving."

"Thank-you, sir." Harry panted as Filius dispelled the ropes and summoned Harry's wand, deflecting it so that it landed in Harry's hand. "What _was_ that spell that sent me flying?"

"A cleaning charm." Filius smiled. "I conjured soap on the floor as you dodged my hexes."

"Soap." Harry repeated flatly.

"You did well." Filius waved his wand and the slippery residue vanished. "I remember that move once let me win a match as only _one_ foot of my adversary slipped."

Harry thought about it for a moment, then he winced.

"That was the reaction that every single man who was watching had as well." Filius chuckled. "A few of the ladies, too."

"Sir, you have an _evil_ sense of humor." Harry grumbled as he finished climbing to his feet. Filius simply grinned at him and Harry flexed his shoulders. "I…"

Harry's comment was lost as Neville was sent flying across the room by Hermione and Harry reflexively caught the larger boy, fielding him like a professional goalkeeper before setting him on his feet.

"What in the name of the Explorer was _that_ spell?" Filius asked in shock and Hermione blushed slightly under his respectful regard.

"Um, it's something I developed from the same basis as the _Wingardium Leviosa_ spell. Rather than lift things up, it absorbs half the magic of the spells the target tries to use for about four seconds, then transforms it into kinetic energy away from the target's wand."

"Whatever it was, it was _weird_." Neville agreed as he crouched down to pick up his wand. "I thought she'd hit me with a fake spell, then… _whoosh_! Flying time!"

"Professor Vector helped me work it out, we've been working on it since I wrote to her during the summer." Hermione added and Filius nodded.

"Arithmancy _is_ very useful in developing new spells. Ten points to Ravenclaw for expanding the reach of magic and if you would be so kind, may I learn that spell too? It could be very amusing to use it at the next Dueling Championships. Having all my opponents flying off the dueling platform would be very amusing indeed."

"It relies on the target using magic once hit." Hermione pointed out. "If they simply dodge until the spell triggers, it'll have no effect on them at all."

"Duelist's Shield." Flitwick pointed out and Hermione's eyes widened in understanding.

"Of course! You told me that at the higher levels, using that technique between attacks is so reflexive that most don't even realize that they're doing it!"

"What's that spell you created called?" Harry asked curiously.

" _Potenportus_." Hermione replied. "The full name translates as _Stored energy releases to induce movement_ , but by moving your wand like _this_ as you cast, it lets you shorten the incantation."

"Magnificent." Filius clapped his hands and then causing his wand to appear once more. "Well done! Can you show me once more?"

" _Potenportus_!" Hermione cast the almost-invisible spell at one of the interactive training dummies and a few seconds later, it rocked slightly backwards.

" _Potenportus_!" Flitwick cast a moment later and once again the dummy rocked backwards. "Excellent, Miss Granger! Ten points to Ravenclaw for the creation of a new dueling spell."

"Thank you, sir." Hermione ducked her head slightly in embarrassed pleasure.

"And do I have your permission to use it if I can master it enough to cast it silently?" Flitwick asked, his eyes twinkling.

"O… of course, sir!"

"Thank you." Flitwick smirked. "I do believe that Professor Black is going to find our next scheduled dueling match to be… _interesting_."

"What did my dogfather do _this_ time?" Harry sighed.

"You know him too well."

"And you haven't answered my question, sir."

"No, I haven't."


	15. Growing Threats

The occasional flash of light lit the wood as spells were fired at the young boy running for his life through the unforgiving darkness. Occasional shouts echoed through the woods as a dozen adults slowly homed in on the fleeing boy, hunting him down with practiced efficiency.

"It's veered to the left!" A shout echoed and the boy sobbed with fear as he stumbled through a bush that scratched his legs. A figure suddenly seemed to unfold out of nowhere in less than a heartbeat, its hand holding a glowing stick that somehow radiated danger and the boy tripped, rolling frantically as the ground exploded where he had been an instant before.

"Almost got it!"

The boy felt _something_ inside him, then the world defocused and fell away from him.

.

Abathanor Grimsditch growled as he looked round for the abomination masquerading as a human. As a straight-line male descendant of one of the Original Twelve, Abathanor had been raised on the stories of Auror Robert Grimsditch and, like his father, his grandfather and every male of his line, he had joined the Aurors as soon as he was able to, earning the rank of Valedictorian due to his family archives and the many spells and techniques contained therein.

Unfortunately, none of those spells and techniques had been created with the threat of an _Obscurial_ in mind as his grandfather had been dealing with a plot by the Sasquatches to launch another rebellion when the Scamander Event had occurred.

It was known, though, that killing the human form of the _Obscurial_ also killed the magical beast puppeting it, something that Abanathor was more than willing to…

A flash of red light hit him and he collapsed to the ground, having failed to notice the rat that had crept out behind him and turned into a wizard.

The wizard looked down at Abanathor's unconscious form, then it reverted back into a rat and scurried away just as the treetops waved with the passage of an invisible force moving away from him, an invisible force which was suddenly impacted by a second one.

_TerrorFearAttackEnemiesFleeHurt_

_**SafetyRefuge** _

_ConfusionFearRetreatFlee_

_**FriendshipKnowledgeControl** _

_CuriosityHatredFriendshipUnknown_

_**KnowledgeTransformationTechniqueFriendshipRefuge** _

_SafetyQuery_

_**Confirmation** _

_TruthQuery_

_**Confirmation** _

The boy seemed to slowly reform from a whirling mass of immaterial strands, then another boy materialized using the same technique, but in a far less chaotic manner.

"Hello, brother." the older boy smiled. "I know a place where you can be safe and people who will help you learn how to use your power to become strong, to never need fear again."

"…who…?"

"My birth name doesn't matter, I took a new one, as you can too. I am James Kirk."

Before the boy could reply, a spell flashed between them and Kirk seemed to explode into a writhing cloud which moved with purpose. The witch who had fired the spell didn't even have time to scream before an almost-invisible tentacle wrapped round her arms and contracted, breaking every bone below the elbow before throwing her into a tree and knocking her out, her body landing bonelessly near that of the wizard that Pettigrew had stunned. A split-second later, Kirk had reformed and he smiled at the boy staring at him in awe.

"Come with me if you want to live."

The younger boy nodded, then both boys transformed into writhing masses of magical energy which darted away, shattering trees in their wake, including one which slowly toppled towards the helpless wizard and witch.

* * *

.

"Well?"

The five wizards and three witches sat around the parchment-covered table looked up as the speaker entered the room, then one of the wizards stood up and bowed.

"Madam Umbridge, welcome back. I'm sorry to say this, but we haven't made as much progress as we hoped. Whoever Potter has working for him, they seem to have an encyclopedic knowledge of all the Laws that the Wizengamot has ever passed."

Dolores frowned. " _All_ of them?"

"Yes, Undersecretary. It came as quite a surprise to us as well. Even the Secret Laws of 1721 were complied with."

"What about the regulations?" Dolores pressed. "Surely he couldn't have complied with all of them as well?"

"Not as such." One of the witches offered. "The main regulations, the ones that all the businesses follow, are complied with, but the _secondary_ regulations…"

"Potter is technically a Halfblood." The first wizard interjected. "There's a certain regulation, one that was initiated during the first war against _You-Know-Who_ which states that any Halfblood who wishes to set up a business can only do so if an equal share is held by a Pureblood of equal or greater wealth. Since Pureblood businesses were generally ignored, the regulation was intended to protect all the other businesses from Death Eater raids and after _You-Know-_ Who died, the regulation was assumed to have been revoked, but it wasn't and can be applied. Since Potter is currently _the_ wealthiest wizard in Britain, there's no Pureblood available who can fill that role."

"Which means?" Umbridge asked, her expression almost predatorial.

"Which means that the business can be removed from him in its entirety and given to a Pureblood." The wizard explained.

"Excellent!"

The wizard winced. "Um, there may be a problem, however."

Umbridge frowned at him. "Problem? _What_ problem?"

" _Legally_ , there is no bar to us seizing his business, although there might be some bad publicity involved." The wizard shrugged. "However… his business and all the records pertaining to it are stored at The Pottery, something which is both perfectly legal and highly problematic for us."

Umbridge raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"The Pottery has _pro-active_ Wards, a sixty-foot-long guardian Basilisk and windows that absorb spellfire to make the Wards stronger." The wizard noted. "It's quite possible that the Wards themselves are capable of absorbing magic too. Gaining access to The Pottery in order to claim Evans Enterprises could be… problematic."

Umbridge frowned, then slowly grinned like a shark.

"But we only really need access to _Potter_ …"

* * *

.

"Ow."

The world slowly refocused around Abathanor Grimsditch and he found himself looking at a near-white ceiling, one that he recognized instantly.

"What happened? Why am I here? Did we get the _Obscurial_?"

"You were stunned and only barely saved from being squashed by a falling tree, you suffered stun-shock and no, it escaped." The Ward Matron said as she walked over, her wand already twitching as she cast spells to check his status.

"Who saved me from the tree?" Abanathor asked, then he chuckled. "Heh, that rhymed! I'm a po- _ow_!"

"That should do it." The Matron noted. "Apparently Auror Travis _summoned_ you and Auror Willikins out from under the falling tree. Auror Willikins is still regrowing several of her bones."

" _Biscuit_ saved us?" Abanathor breathed in near-shock. "Damn. Gonna have to change his nickname."

"I'm sure he'll be happy to hear that."

"Served him right for having that first name."Abanathor snickered. " _Rich T_ … hmmm. _Saver_ , as he's _Rich_. Could work."

"Nice to see you're concentrating on the important things." The Matron snarked.

* * *

.

"Wow! You've got the newest _Justice League_ comic?"

James nodded with a proud smirk as he walked towards the motorhome. "I have indeed."

"Does Omni-Man's son really join? I mean, he's shown up to help out before, but…"

"He does." James confirmed.

"Cool! He's the coolest hero ever! I always wanted to be him!"

"Why don't you?"

For a long moment, the question didn't seem to register, then the younger boy looked up, eyes wide.

"Really? I can?"

"What can he?" Gellert asked from the door and James grinned at his elderly mentor.

"Uncle Gellert, meet Mark Grayson. Mark, this is Gellert Grindlewald, one of the four Wizards who've dedicated themselves to helping those like us."

"Nice to meet you." The newly-renamed Mark said shyly and Gellert gave him a paternal smile.

"It is a great honor to meet you and may I be the first to welcome you to your new life."

"Come on." James motioned as Gellert stepped aside. "Let's get you settled in and then we can see about getting you the things you need such as new clothes and a toothbrush."

"And a towel." Gellert chuckled. "You should always know where your towel is."

"He keeps throwing references like that." James explained with a shrug as the confused kid stared in incomprehension. "You get used to it. Come on, you've _gotta_ see the rooms, they're like the Tardis! They're bigger on the inside!"

* * *

.

"A Rat Animagus… are you certain of this?"

"I am, ma'am." Auror Travis replied as he stood to attention in front of Chief Auror Dawnfeld's desk. "I didn't get much of a look at his face before he _changed_ , but he transformed into a common rat. I couldn't track him after that."

"A rat Animagus…" Dawnfeld mused. "A _rat_ Animagus… I wonder…"

"Ma'am?"

Dawnfeld ignored him as she rummaged through one of the desk drawers, then she pulled out a Wanted poster stamped with the sigil of the British Ministry of Magic.

"Could this have been him?"

Travis leaned closer and examined the poster before looking up.

"I can't say for certain, ma'am, but it certainly looks like the wizard in question."

"Peter Pettigrew." Dawnfeld almost spat. "Which means that we have Gellert Grindlewald in America again. Dammit!"

Travis watched wide-eyed as the Chief Auror picked up the phone and started to bark orders into it.

"I want Alabama closed off! If anyone uses a Portkey or makes an Apparition jump, I want to know about it! Double the Watchers and crank the sensors up to maximum! Yes, I'm serious! Do it!"

* * *

.

Albus looked up from the latest missives from the International Confederation of Wizards as Alistair Moody stumped in, glowering more than usual.

"Albus, we got trouble." He snapped. "One of my contacts just sent me a message, they got a positive ID on Pettigrew."

"Splendid." Albus noted as he returned the sheet of parchment to the folder it had come from. "Where was he?"

"Outside Birmingham."

"He's in England?"

Moody shook his head. "Birmingham, _Alabama_. The bastard's in America."

"What?" Albus shook his head in confusion. "America? What would he be doing there?"

"My contact used a word I didn't recognize." Moody grumbled. "Albus, what's an _Obscurial_?"

Albus felt the blood leave his face as the word registered. " _Obscurial_ … oh no… no…"

"Albus?"

For a long moment, Albus simply stared at his old friend, then he sighed.

"Alistair, do you remember Arianne?"

"Your sister?" Moody asked. "Vaguely… she didn't go out much… died young. Only met her once. Why?"

"She was an _Obscurial_." Albus lowered his head into his hands. "Aberforth and I did the best we could to keep her safe. Had the Ministry ever found out… at best, she would have been executed. At worst… who knows what the Department of Mysteries would have done to her."

Alastair silently lowered himself into the chair opposite Albus and waited.

"Because of what those boys did to her when she was young, she denied her own magic and… it changed. It changed _her_. She'd have these… these _episodes_ where her magic would lash out. Abeforth and I… it was all we could do to simply restrain her at those times.  
"When Gellert and I met, he was kind to her, but he _knew_ about her being an _Obscurial_. He never suggested anything and even helped to shield her, but…  
"If Pettigrew is in America, so is Gellert and if they're after _Obscurial_ s…"

"How bad is it?" Moody demanded.

"My old friend, if Gellert has found a way to harness the power of even a single _Obscurial_ … he would be able to defeat the entire _Order of the Phoenix_ in single combat!"

Moody paled.

"What do we do?"

"What else can we do, my friend? We must contact MACUSA and offer our assistance. Let us pray that they accept."

"You think they won't?"

Albus raised his head and met Alistair's gaze.

"The American Congress does not like having outsiders on its territory, Alistair. They put up with tourists and the occasional immigrant, providing that they are wealthy, but they do not appreciate people trying to move in on what they see as their own turf. We can offer, but I doubt that they will accept… not unless the situation proves to be more than they can deal with… and even then, their pride may prove impossible for them to overcome."

"So… what do we do?" Alistair demanded after several long moments.

"Apart from set up interception points to catch and question anyone leaving America… I don't know, my friend."


	16. Halloween

" _Sir, Miss Lovegood and Professor Flitwick have just entered the Mansion. I have informed them of your location._ "

"Thanks, Jor-El." Harry said as he stared at the holographic moving pictures surrounding him, most of them pictures that had been scanned from the hard copies that various professors (and other friends of his parents) had given to him over the previous couple of years, but a few of them images that Jor-El had culled from the records that had been installed into him. With the originals safely stored in a stasis box so that they would not be at risk of damage, the holographic copies were available at any time to him.

"Hello, Harry." Luna chirped as she almost bounced into the library. "I see you have some new books, have you told Hermione yet?"

Harry chuckled even as a wave of his hands caused the projected pictures to shrink and move so that they were on the table.

"Hello, Luna." He smiled, then looked over at his Head of House. "Uncle Fil."

"Harry." Filius nodded back at him. "We thought we'd come and give you a warning that the evening feast is due to start in an hour."

Harry sighed, looking at the pictures on the table. "I'll be there. I was just… I can't really say _remembering_ my parents as I don't, but…"

"You were honoring them." Luna said, her normal levity vanishing. "The parents who gave birth to you, the parents who protected and sacrificed themselves for you."

"That's it exactly." Harry agreed, slightly surprised as to how Luna had seen to the core of the situation.

Luna floated off, examining the books on the shelves as Filius looked round.

"You _do_ have more books than last time… Harry?"

"Yes, Uncle Fil?"

"Have you expanded the library? It seems a _lot_ bigger than it used to be."

Harry grinned. "Yep. Runic arrays in the walls to triple the volume. The real trick was not distorting the doorways, it required some very finicky work, according to Jor-El."

"I would have been willing to use a space-expansion charm had you asked." Filius noted.

"The problem with those is that they tend to wear off after a few years, except when in areas that have a very high level of ambient magic." Harry pointed out. "I had wondered why people didn't simply live in Wizarding Tents and wrote to the manufacturers. Even the best expanded tents rarely last more than a decade before the spell wears off and each time the spell is _recharged_ , the effect is slightly shorter. Get a five-year tent, recharge in the fifth year and the effect will last only another three or four years. Each expansion from a recharge is shorter than the previous one, so eventually you end up having to constantly charge it."

"Hogwarts has expanded rooms." Filius noted.

"Hogwarts is above a very strong intersection of ley-lines." Harry countered. "By now, the magic is an integral part of the building, thus the effect is constantly recharging."

"That would make sense." Filius allowed after a few moments of thought. "And I assume that the runic arrays you mentioned have a similar effect?"

"They need to be kept charged, but yes." Harry nodded. "The arrays themselves include… _reservoirs_ would be the best word. Sections that store magic and slowly release it, meaning that if anything happens to break the flow of magic, I have almost a week to figure out a solution. It's sort of a fail-safe… which is far better than a fail- _dangerous_."

Filius chuckled at the wordplay as Harry swiped a hand over the table, causing the images to fade away.

"I guess I'd better prepare for the feast." Harry said as he rose to his feet. "Thanks for warning me."

"Not a problem." Filius smiled at his honorary nephew.

"Oh! Look at this!" Luna's voice sounded and both males half-turned, having almost forgotten that she was there. " _Dealing With Dragons_! I wonder if it includes crumple-horned snorkacks?"

"That's a story about magic by a non-magical writer." Harry chuckled. "It's a fun read, but dragons aren't like that in real life. It also doesn't show Wizards in a good light."

"Can I borrow it?" Luna begged eagerly. "Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease?"

Harry shrugged. "Alright, but return it wh- _ooof_!"

Luna's glomp caused Harry to fall back onto the sofa and Filius chuckled.

"Should I tell you two to get a room?"

"DAMMIT, UNCLE FIL!"

Filius chuckled as he ducked out of the room, dodging the thrown cushion with the easy skill of a professional dueler.

* * *

.

The Great Hall was decorated with floating pumpkins, each carved with a different face and lit from within by floating candles. Ghosts slowly drifted around the periphery, occasionally stopping to talk to one of the pupils and at the Teacher's Table the assembled staff sat watching the students who returned their attention.

Once the last students had filed in and taken their seats, Minerva McGonogall rose, tapping her goblet with a spoon to ensure that she had everyone's attention.

"Tonight is All Hallow's Eve." She stated, her voice carrying through the otherwise-silent hall. "Tonight is the night that those who are gone are closest to us, that the Veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest.  
"Tonight is the night that we remember those who have gone before us, those who have passed beyond.  
"Raise your goblets.  
"To those who are gone, but never forgotten."

" _To those who are gone, but never forgotten"_

The majority of the students joined in with the toast, save for a few Slytherins. From his position, Harry could see Draco glaring at one of those who had remained seated.

"Be seated." Minerva commanded and with a rustling of fabric (and several sounds of wood scraping across the stone floor), everyone except the Headmistress sat down once more.

"Before we begin the feast, I have a few announcements." Minerva continued. "First is for those taking Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid has arranged for another trip to the Romanian Dragon Preserve. The trip will be over a weekend, so no lessons will be missed, will not clash with any Quidditch games and will include an overnight stay. If you wish to join in, apply to Hagrid at your next lesson with him.  
"Secondly, Lord Black has said that he is quite impressed with the progress of some of the Animagi-to-be and expects that the first two or three will be able to finish the process soon. The ritual room has already been set up and either Lord Black or myself will happily escort the new Animagi to be officially registered as the newest member of our little club.  
"Third, Professor Tonks has achieved her Mastery in Potions."

Minerva paused as the Great Hall erupted in a spontaneous round of applause. After a moment, she held up one hand for silence and nodded to Andromeda, who rose to her feet.

"Thank you." She smiled. "However, I would not have been able to complete the Tests of Mastery without the tuition that Professor Snape provided. Thank you, Professor."

Snape nodded in return, his face blank but the corners of his lips were very slightly raised. With a smile, Andromeda bowed to Minerva and sat down, ceding the speech back to the Headmistress.

"Fourth and finally, some of you may have noticed the screen above the door at the end of the Hall."

Almost the entire student body turned to look up at the sheet of black glass fixed to the wall just below the rafters and which descended to less than a foot above the main door, a sheet of black glass that was almost half the width of the Great Hall.

"That screen is a gift from Evans Industries in conjunction with the American company News Corporation who have a division dedicated to providing content for those like us. Smaller screens will be in the common rooms by the time the feast ends.  
"The screens will have multiple uses. They can be used to relay important news, act as communication aids or show recordings of plays, documentaries and other things. They can be controlled by means of a smaller screen such as this one."

Minerva held up a rectangular mirror that was glowing by itself.

"So, to set the mood and to join the inauguration of the Kitsune Broadcasting Division… the Rhythmic Runes in concert."

The black glass started to glow, then an image formed on it, showing the famed Rhythmic Runes walking out onto a stage that had been set up in the entrance hall of the Ministry of Magic as a crowd cheered.

"Let the feast begin!" Minerva stated, but almost half the students were too busy staring at the Rhythmic Runes in amazement to notice the food appearing on their tables.

"Did you know about this?" Hermione half-hissed and Harry nodded.

"Yep. It did take some tricky negotiating by Jor-El, but fortunately two of the News Corporation Board Members had children who were Magical and they were able to persuade the others to go along with it. It didn't hurt that I currently own just under three percent of the company's shares thanks to Jor-El. On the other hand, they're a great vector for introducing K-tech. They're already investing in optical-fibers and related technologies. By the time I graduate, Earth's tech will be… almost adequate, according to Jor-El."

" _Hello, Magical Britain!"_ The voice of the lead singer boomed out from the screen, then the band began to play.

.

From the balcony outside her office, Dolores Umbridge looked down at the hunky lead singer of the Rhythmic Runes, taking in the sight of his oiled pecs and sixpack that were prominently displayed by his cutaway robe. The lead guitarist, clad in a high-collared robe scandalously cut to mid-thigh and with her right sleeve missing, seemed totally focused on making her fingers dance over the strings of her instrument.

"Undersecretary Umbridge?"

"What is it, Farmerson?" Umbridge asked, never taking her eyes off the cavorting musical wizard below.

"I've finished making the arrangements, Undersecretary."

Umbridge took the proffered clipboard and glanced at it, then frowned.

"Have you sent off the notices yet?"

"Not yet, Undersecretary."

Umbridge pulled out a self-inking quill and marked several names on the list.

"Delay the notices for these ones. Give them… oh, _five_ minutes warning. And I want a sealed hearing! Once it starts, _no-one_ except for the Minister is allowed in or out. And just before you send those final notices, have the Floo Department instigate a systems check, the same for the Elevators!"

"Yes, Madam Undersecretary!"

As the wizard retreated to follow her instructions Umbridge returned her gaze to the hunk below and licked her lips.

Such a prime specimen of a Wizard.

It was too bad that he was known to be gay. He would have made a _wonderful_ bed-warmer for her.

.

The second song came to an end and several of the students decided to use the brief interlude to quickly grab some of the food before they returned to watching the Rhythmic Runes again. As the band began their third number, the main door opened slightly and Narcissa Malfoy, clad in the formal Regent Robes, slipped through.

"What's going on?" Hermione whispered as Minerva tapped the control screen to silence the music before standing up.

"How may I help you, Regent Malfoy?"

"Headmistress, a Quorum of the Wizengamot has been summoned and since my son will take up his Lordship in a few years, I came to ask if I could take him with me, to help him gain more experience."

"Hang on!" Sirius interjected, springing to his feet. " _What_ Wizengamot meeting?"

"You… haven't received the notification?" Narcissa asked in bemusement. "It starts in just over fifty minutes…"

"I ain't got one neither." Hagrid rumbled. "'arry?"

Harry shook his head.

"Something's fishy here." Sirius growled. "Harry, Hagrid, formal Wizard robes and we meet at the Ravenclaw Tower. Sorry, Minerva…"

"You are excused." Minerva nodded. "Go."

"I'll tell you about it later… whatever it is." Harry promised to Neville and Hermione before extracting himself and running for the door. Once out of sight of the others, he could use his _full_ speed.

Something told him that being late would most definitely not be in his best interests.


	17. Wizengamot

"Ten minutes until the session begins, Madam Undersecretary." Farmerson reported. "Minister Fudge is on his way, if you head down now, you'll meet him in the corridor."

"Excellent work." Dolores nodded appreciatively to her underling as she closed the folder on her desk. Rising from her chair, she tucked the folder under her arm and strode towards the doorway. "How long before the Floo check occurs?"

"Three minutes, Madam Undersecretary." Farmerson replied, not even having to check his clipboard. "Two minutes before the last three notifications are sent out. The lifts will be undergoing maintenance _three_ minutes after the Floo check begins, meaning that once owl-flight time is taken into consideration, not even Merlin would be able to get here on time."

Umbridge smirked. "Splendid. With Potter unable to defend himself and his main allies not present, his misbegotten wealth will be able to be channelled to those who are more deserving."

Farmerson half-bowed, then scurried off as Umbridge strode down the corridor to the lift. Stepping into it, she hit the button that would take her to the required floor, then smirked as the doors slid shut.

.

"Huh, I expected something… _bigger_." Harry admitted as he followed Sirius and Hagrid into the octagonal chamber, the half-giant ducking slightly to get through the doorway.

"That would be the _main_ Wizengamot chamber, Potter." Draco stated as he followed his mother into the chamber. "The one used for criminal trials where prison is one of the potential outcomes or where new laws are debated. The Quorum Chamber is the one used for the enforcement of regulations or criminal cases that don't require the Wizengamot in attendance."

"Thank you, cousin." Harry said calmly before Hagrid could do more than glower at the blond boy. "It's always nice to get background information on these things."

Draco bridled at Harry's lack of reaction, but his mother tapped him on the shoulder before guiding him to one side.

"So… where do we sit?" Harry asked quietly.

"Well, technically anywhere." Sirius shrugged. "However, we Lords tend to group according to our political outlooks, so over there would be best for us."

"Beside Lord Longbottom?" Harry asked and Sirius nodded.

"Yep. Hi, Frank!"

"Sirius." Frank Longbottom waved in greeting. "Hagrid, Harry. Any idea what this is all about?"

"None." Sirius admitted as he slumped down on the bench beside Frank. "And I have to say, I don't like it one bit, especially since our notifications haven't arrived yet."

"Hmmm, that's unusual." Frank mused, watching more Wizengamot members filing in and taking their places. "Error or sabotage?"

"Don't know." Sirius grumbled. "Fortunately for us, 'Cissa alerted us to it when she came to collect Draco."

"She's doing a fairly good job of training him to become the next Lord Malfoy, from what I've seen." Frank admitted. "Ah, there's Fudge and his pink toad."

Sirius crammed his fist into his mouth in an attempt to stifle his laughter as Fudge strode across the floor to the main desk and his assistant scurried along barely a pace behind him.

"How long before the session starts?" Harry whispered.

"About five minutes." Frank replied just as quietly. "I'm not sure why your…"

Frank broke off as a trio of owls swooped down, catching everyones attention. The owls landed in front of Sirius, Hagrid and Harry, each one presenting its leg almost imperiously as it waited for the attached rolls of parchment to be untied. Harry glanced up and saw the pink-clad witch staring at them, her eyes wide with horror.

"Hey, this is the notice that we didn't get earlier." Sirius stated, pitching his voice to carry through the chamber. "How very interesting that everyone else received their notices early enough to get here, but that the three of us had ours delayed."

"Ummmm… perhaps the owls got lost?" Fudge suggested and Hagrid shook his head.

"Nope, never happen. I help with the Owlery at Hogwarts, I know about them spells. These owls were _sent_ later than everyone elses. No other way they could be this late."

Several of the other members were giving Fudge measuring looks as he shifted nervously in his seat, then the door burst open as a cadaverous man strode in, panting heavily as he wiped the sweat off his brow.

"Fudge!" He shouted. "I had to _apparate_ here since the Floos are _down for adjustments_! I had to _run_ down the _stairs_ to get here before the doors were locked as the bloody _lifts_ were being worked on! All of them _at the same time_! What in Merlin's name is going on here? Even by modern standards, that's a _staggering_ level of incompetence on the part of the Ministry!"

"Lord Garshan… I'm sure it was just some… unfortunate timing?"

Garshan glared at Fudge then stalked over to the last vacant chair, dropping into it with a growl.

"Well, I'm here now, let's get on with it!"

Fudge glanced at the pink witch who was sat at a smaller desk to the left of his own.

"Is everyone who was summoned here, Dolores?"

The witch gave a jerky nod. "They are, Minister. Full attendance."

Fudge twitched slightly.

"I see. Full attendance. Oh. Well, I guess… I guess that we should begin?"

The witch nodded, then motioned for a Wizard in the formal robes of a Ministry worker to step forwards.

"The Tribunal calls for Lord Potter to take the seat on the charge of violating regulations. If Lord Potter is not here, he shall be found guilty by default and sentence shall be declared."

"That doesn't sound right." Harry growled as he rose from his seat.

"It is _technically_ legal." Frank mused as Harry moved towards the chair set in the center of the room. "If I remember rightly, it's meant to be used during a time of war, but there's no actual limits on when it can be applied…"

"I think we just found out why our notifications were delayed." Sirius snarled as Harry sat down, gazing fearlessly up at Fudge.

"I'm here… despite the best efforts of someone in your employ." Harry said coldly and the witch bridled.

"Are you accusing the _Ministry_ of trying to act illegally?" She snapped and Harry cocked his head slightly.

"Strange how energetically you're protesting." he noted. "And you are…?"

"Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge!"

Harry shrugged and turned his attention back to Fudge, ignoring the fuming witch, much to the ill-concealed humor of many of the assembled Wizengamot. "So, what regulation am I supposed to have broken?"

"Ummm, what regulation is it?"

The Ministry worker stepped forwards, clearing his throat before beginning his recitation.

"Ministry regulation one-seven-four-three-three-eight-six-two as confirmed on February the fourteenth, nineteen eighty-five.  
"All businesses which are initiated from February the fourteenth, nineteen eighty-five onwards or which have premises in Diagon Alley and associated alleys, Hogsmeade or the Caves of Tegg's Nose, shall henceforth be required to be at a minimum half-owned by those of Pureblood heritage and status. Any that do not comply will be removed from the owners and placed under new management."

The man closed the folder and stepped back as Harry shook his head. "The caves of what?"

"It's a now-abandoned set of caverns that were a shopping area until about five or six years ago." Frank Longbottom volunteered. "It closed down at least partly due to the reduction in sales making it harder to afford the stabilization, shielding and expansion charms needed to allow it to operate despite the general area being quite popular with Muggles."

"Sounds like an interesting investment opportunity." Harry mused. "I'll have to look into that, re-opening the Caves would make an interesting way of expanding my company."

"Which has broken the regulation!" Umbridge burst out. "Your business, Evans Enterprises, is _illegal_ and you are to be stripped of it immediately, ready for it to be taken over by a _proper_ Pureblood!"

"Why was that regulation passed in the first place?" Harry asked curiously. "Anyone?"

"I can answer that, since I was affected by it when it was first enforced." Garshan interjected. "The reason was that the Ministry noted that all the businesses that were getting damaged or destroyed by the Death Eaters and were thus subsequently unable to pay taxes were all owned by Muggleborns or Halfbloods. By shifting control to the Purebloods, they thought that the businesses would no longer be attacked, but they went too far! I lost my broomstick shop when I was forced out by that bastard who took it over! Fortunately, I was able to get a job with Comet due to my experience."

"There may have been one or two _minor_ problems in the past." Fudge allowed. "I believe that it was Bagnold who saw that particular regulation through… but it has never been repealed, so…"

"Then I propose that regulation one-seven-four-three-three-eight-six-two _be_ repealed." Harry suggested.

"You can't do that in the middle of an enforcement hearing!" Umbridge protested. "It's not allowed!"

"Motion deferred." Harry shrugged. "We can always repeal it once this farce is concluded. Out of interest, when was the last time that this regulation was enforced?"

There was a long silence as all the members looked at each other, each one obviously uncertain of the answer.

"That doesn't matter!" Fudge broke the silence. "It's still a regulation and thus it still needs to be followed!"

"But why _now_?" Harry pressed. "Or more importantly… _who_ decided to re-activate it?"

A brief bout of whispering to one side caught everyone's attention, then both Narcissa Malfoy and her son rose to their feet, holding their wands.

"I hereby swear on my magic that I did not in any way seek to have the regulation currently being discussed used against the Potter Line. So mote it be, so mote it be, so mote it be." Narcissa stated. " _Lumos, Nox_."

"I hereby swear on my magic that I had been unaware even of the existence of the regulation currently being discussed prior to this day. So mote it be, so mote it be, so mote it be." Draco added. " _Lumos, Nox_."

Both Malfoys sat down and Harry gave them a nod of acknowledgement. Umbridge scowled at the pair, then returned her glare to Harry.

"It doesn't matter _who_ chose to apply the regulation, what matters is that it _is_ being applied." She snapped. "What matters is that as a confirmed _Halfblood_ , you are in violation of…"

"Why do you think that I'm a Halfblood?" Harry interrupted and Umbridge sputtered.

"Your mother was a Mudb… a _Muggleborn_! While your father may have been a Pureblood, _you_ are not!"

"Objection." Harry drawled and Umbridge's face reddened.

"Objection? You are a _Halfblood_! It's a matter of _public record_! What makes you think otherwise? Please, enlighten us as to why you think that the definition does not apply to _you_!"

Harry smirked. "Order of Merlin, Second Class."

A shocked gasp echoed around the hall while Sirius burst out laughing.

"Nice one! That would do it!"

"Bu… wha… huh?" Umbridge stammered. "What do you…"

"By being awarded an Order of Merlin, Second Class, the recipient is raised one step in the societal hierarchy." Harry recited. "A Muggleborn becomes as a Halfblood. A Halfblood becomes as a Pureblood and a Pureblood can claim the societal status of one more generation than their lineage supports. An Order of Merlin, First Class raises the recipient _two_ steps. All Orders of Merlin are applied Sequentially by date of award in the case of Multiple Awards to a single recipient. I was awarded an Order of Merlin, Second Class, by the Wizengamot. I am therefore, by decree of the Wizengamot, a Pureblood and so regulation one-seven-four-three-three-eight-six-two has been complied with."

Umbridge's jaw worked furiously as she tried to come up with a rebuttal.

"Did you know that Supreme Mugwump Dumbledore has had his status raised by _five_ steps? After all, he has _two_ First Class orders _and_ a Second Class."

The shocked silence had given way to a growing sussuration of frantic whispering.

"So." Harry said as Fudge looked round in near-panic. "Since the matter has been resolved, I move that Regulation one-seven-four-three-three-eight-six-two be repealed."

"Seconded!" Sirius shouted.

"…the motion has been made and seconded." Fudge announced in a defeated tone of voice. "All those in favor of repealing the regulation, please raise your wands… opposed… the motion passes. Let the regulation be struck from the books."

Harry smirked as Umbridge let out a strangled scream and slammed her hands onto her desk, toppling the paperwork on it onto the floor.

* * *

.

"Wow!"

The exclamation of surprised pleasure echoed out of the tent reserved for females and a moment later, a head crowned with matted and tangled dirt-encrusted hair popped out from between the flaps.

"I'm going to have a bath! A long one!" The girl declared firmly.

"You may wish to shower first so that you don't end up floating in mud." Gellert offered gently and the girl nodded.

"You're right. Shower, _then_ bath!"

The girl vanished back into the magical tent and Gellert smiled triumphantly at Voldemort, who had been watching from the front seat.

"That's _three_ now and my box indicates that there are another two or possibly even _three_ within range. In fact, the closest one is barely two hours drive away."

"Soon, not even the Wards of Hogwarts will be able to hold against our forces." Voldemort smirked, then he looked round as the door opened and two boys piled in.

"Hurry up!" Mark called over his shoulder as the two disentangled himself. "Let's get eating!"

"Coming!" Pettigrew groaned as he pulled himself into the vehicle, a large McDonalds bag in one hand and a tray of drinks in the other. "Okay… who wanted the Chocolate milkshake?"


	18. Explanations

"How did it go?" Hermione half-babbled as Harry stepped into the Common Room. "What did the Wizengamot say? Are you going to lose your company like the radio said you might? Who's going to end up with it? Is Sirius going to…"

Smiling, Harry placed a finger on her lips, stopping the relentless flow of questions as a snickering Neville joined them. Looking round, Harry saw that the other inhabitants of the room (and there were far more than normal) were all carefully trying to listen in without being seen to be listening.

"Professor!" Harry called out. "May I borrow the stand for a moment?"

"Of course!" Flitwik answered from somewhere in the crowded room and Harry made his way up to the raised platform, climbing the steps as the students (and Professor Flitwick) abandoned whatever they had been pretending to do and gathered round.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, honored faculty…" Harry looked round as everyone gave him their full attention. "Did I miss anyone?"

A wave of chuckles and giggles swept the room at his question, then silence descended once more.

"Today, the Wizengamot has repealed a regulation which forced those not of pureblood heritage to place their hard work in the hands of those who had no reason not to misuse it or take it for their own." Harry stated. "Although the Wizengamot has declined to compensate those who have already lost out to that regulation, at least no-one else will find themselves unfairly beggared and thrown onto the street because of it."

Several of the older students looked grimly satisfied at the statement.

"If anyone knows of other unfair regulations, please contact me about it next Sunday." Harry added. "Lord Black will also listen to any problems. While Hagrid is also in the Wizengamot, he lacks the political strength that Sirius and I have, so if you choose to talk to him, he'll simply inform Sirius about whatever the issue is. You will probably want to simply go straight to Sirius to avoid any details being lost."

Most of the students nodded in understanding.

"No other real issues were raised, except for the problem of delayed notifications which _someone_ tried to pull in order to illegally bankrupt me. By the end of term, that issue should be solved. That is all, thank you."

Harry stepped down, only to be ambushed by Hermione, who pulled him into a corner.

"Harry," She hissed, "Your company… while you were at that meeting, I called mum and dad. They told me that they're upgrading their Dental Practice… with an _Evans Industry_ computer! One that links to the Datanet! What _is_ a Datanet?"

Harry paused as Neville, who was standing just behind Hermione, gave him a confused look.

"Ummmm… think of it as a cross between a telephone system and a library… or… nope, that metaphor doesn't work… it's a way of sending messages and storing things in an electronic format so that you can locate it wherever you are, as long as you have access to a computer or similar. Jor-El's been working on upgrading Earth-tech to allow a Datanet to be created. To assist, he set up Evans Industries as a spin-off company purely in the Muggle world and teamed up with a group called Microsoft. Apparently their _Windows_ system has potential, although Jor-El described it as an ever-growing masterpiece of frantic improvisation. By now, he's probably re-written it to be ten times faster with quarter of the computing power needed… assuming he hasn't simply used Kryptonian coding… I'll have to ask him."

"You lost me after the library." Neville admitted.

"It is a rather specialized field." Harry shrugged. "Let's just say that certain things I inherited are being used to try and make life better, including things like communications."

"Oh, right." Neville nodded, glancing at the doorway which led to the newly-installed Ravenclaw Telephone Room. "Yeah, Dad mentioned in his letter that they were going to get a phone and they knew the number for the phones here. You haven't advertised them much, though."

"That's because Jor-El's finished making the prototype for _this_." Harry said, pulling out what looked at first-glance to be a small, rectangular mirror, albeit one slightly thicker than his little finger. "This is a _mobile_ phone with visual communication capability. It naturally recharges from ambient energy, including magic, and connects to the central server via a tiny switching spell. It uses a small disc of optical sapphire to carry the light."

"How does that work?" Hermione shook her head. "Light travels _fast_ , even if the switch is instantaneous, you'd need to do the switch… about…"

"Over two hundred thousand times per second to ensure uninterrupted constant real-time data transfer." Harry agreed, earning shocked looks from both. "The amount of data it can carry is huge, while small photovoltaic cells set above and below the disc allow for extra power feeds via pulsed coherent light fired vertically through the disc, rather than from edge-to-edge like the data-sensors. It does require a _lot_ of magic to sustain, even with Kryptonian technology, which is why Jor-El has constructed a _second_ Mage-reactor to feed the Mage-server."

Neville simply looked confused while Hermione's eyes widened further in disbelieving shock.

"Harry… are you saying that this phone is… is capable of _faster-than-light_ data transfer?"

"Ummm, pretty much, I think." Harry mused. "I hadn't really thought about it much…"

Hermione shook her head. "…uuuuuuuuuh…"

"Harry…" Neville half-whispered. "Whatever you just told her… I think it broke her."

"…oops?"

* * *

.

"That was an… _interesting_ exercise, mother." Draco noted as he looked up from the notes that he had written at his mother's behest. "I have to admit that before today, I hadn't been aware of that particular effect of the Order of Merlin."

"It isn't usually an issue, given that it's very rarely awarded to non-Purebloods." Narcissa replied as she placed her own quill down, then used her wand to transpose her notes and her son's. Draco took the implied permission to read her notes as she started to peruse his.

"Draco, why have you placed Hagrid into the _adversary_ column? Shouldn't he be in the _neutral_?"

Draco paused for a moment and Narcissa frowned.

"What did you do?"

Draco sagged slightly. "I… attempted to set in motion events that would have Hagrid replaced by someone who would keep a closer eye on Potter. The attempt failed at the first stage, so I abandoned it."

Narcissa's frown deepened. "Draco, once we have finished reviewing the meeting we have just attended, you will tell me of this plan that failed. It sounds too much like some of the plans I had to prevent your father from pursuing as they were not thought-through and had no capacity for adjustment when things did not go as planned."

"…yes, mother."

Narcissa gave a firm nod, then frowned at another note. "Draco, Potter should not be in the _enemy_ column. With our links to him via Lord Black, he should at worst be _neutral_."

" _You've_ never tried to score against him in Quidditch." Draco grumbled.

* * *

.

"That was a _disaster_!" Umbridge ranted as she paced her office like a caged tiger, Farmerson standing in the corner as inoffensively as he could, given that he towered over her. "How were they even _there_? And before they even got their damned _owls_!"

"Ma'am, I overheard that Mrs Malfoy may have accidentally alerted them when she went to collect her son." Farmerson offered meekly.

The noise that Umbridge made was one that Farmerson would have previously sworn on his magic could not be made by a human, sounding something akin to a cross between a roaring Griffin and a kettle boiling set against a backdrop of Fwooper song. After a long moment, she inhaled deeply, then growled.

"Mrs Malfoy, you say? _Regent_ Malfoy?"

"Yes, Undersecretary."

"I'll make her pay." Umbridge muttered, then she sat down behind her desk.

"Potter's Order of Merlin. Any way of repealing it, like Pettigrew's?"

"Not without a supermajority of two-thirds of the full Wizengamot, ma'am."

Umbridge blinked. "Pettigrew only needed a simple majority."

"His was a _Third Class_ Order, ma'am. A _Second Class_ Order needs a two-thirds vote to overturn while a _First Class_ Order needs five-sixths. Furthermore, I must point out that Pettigrew has only been the second person in history to have an _Order of Merlin_ stripped from him."

Umbridge frowned, but nodded in unwilling acceptance.

"So… we can't get at him that way either. Any other ideas?"

"Not at this time, Madam Undersecretary." Farmerson replied nervously.

Umbridge motioned for him to leave and Farmerson bowed before departing, containing his sigh of relief until after he had heard the door closing behind him.

* * *

.

"So, where are we going?" The newly-renamed Diana Prince asked, leaning forwards to look at Voldemort, who was examining a map while Barty concentrated on driving.

"I'm still working that out, young one." Voldemort said almost absently as he turned the map slightly, then glanced at the _Obscurial_ Detector mounted on the center of the dashboard. "Due to my education, map-reading and dead-reckoning are not among my… hmmm, I think I have it. A place called Fripp Island… Barty, turn left onto the interstate. We need to head east."

"Yes, my Lord." Barty acknowledged the instruction.

"It has a beach?" Diana squeaked as she peered at the map. "I've never been to a beach before!"

"Then I shall do my best to make sure that you get a chance to play on it for a day." Voldemort said magnanimously, then he blinked as Diana gave him a quick kiss on his cheek.

"YaythanksIneedtocheckmyswimsuitfitsloveyoubye!"

Diana scurried into her tent and Barty glanced at his Master curiously.

"My Lord…"

Voldemort pulled out his wand and cast a quick _mufflatio_. "Speak."

"You treat these people… differently."

"I do." Voldemort admitted. "Part of it is their power. You saw what James did when we rescued Mark? That was against wizards _trained_ to take down _Obscurials_ and he went through them like they weren't there. Now, part of it is that he was _acting_ rather than _reacting_ , which caught them by surprise… that and they thought that they were only against a single _Obscurial_ , but it can easily take thirty Auror-level witches and wizards to take down an _Obscurial_ under normal circumstances. To take down multiple _Obscurials_ who are acting _intelligently_ in their ascended forms? Who have learned not to fight their other selves but to accept them and thus be healed by them instead of slowly killed? Once we have four or more and given them at least some training, the combined Aurors of Britain will not stand a chance."

"Yes, my Lord." Barty acknowledged. "But… my Lord, since you returned…"

"There have been some side-effects caused by the process I used." Voldemort agreed. "Slight changes I have found in my personality… if not for my mastery of _Occlumency_ , I would not have noticed."

"…my Lord?"

"I am still myself, Barty." Voldemort reassured his loyal minion. "Just… _more_ , in a way. After I took over Lockhart, I found that I had become more vain than I was before. Not greatly so and it proved useful for rallying my followers, but… I did find myself spending more time considering my wardrobe and the messages I wished to deliver with how I dressed."

"…and Bagnold,my Lord?"

"…yes. Bagnold. She was a true master in knowing how to manipulate people so that they didn't know that they were being manipulated. I have studied her memories and she was incredible. If not for her arrogance, even greater than mine on the day I went to strike down the one prophesied to end my life, she would have been beloved. As it was, she was almost universally respected, even by her enemies. I have learned her techniques, Barty, and they are a tool far too useful to be set aside when dealing with our new followers."

"Yes, my Lord." Barty agreed, then he glanced across. "Thank you, my Lord."

"Anything for my followers… _Logan_."

Barty groaned. "I can't believe that you let them call me that!"

"You should be proud of the name our allies have given you." Voldemort chuckled. "Why, they spent _hours_ looking through comic books on your behalf. By the way, do you want me to look up ways of letting you create metal claws?"

Barty let out a noise half-way between a groan and a growl, causing Voldemort to chuckle again before cancelling the privacy spell.


	19. Quidditch

"Mum! Dad!"

Hermione almost catapulted herself out of her chair in the Lord's Box as Joan and Ron Granger entered. Hugging them, she led them to the three chairs that she had reserved.

"Lord Potter." Ron said formally. "Thank you for inviting us."

"Well, if Hermione was going to sit through a match, I thought that she may as well have someone to complain to." Harry joked, earning an exasperated glare from Hermione. "Today we have the Gryffindor versus Slytherin match, historically the most hotly contested one, although the Ravenclaw/Slytherin seems to be getting there."

As Joan sat down next to her daughter, Ron looked over the balcony, then he stepped back and looked at the fencing before returning to look over the edge.

"That's weird." He stated after several moments. "The fabric's invisible from the inside."

"It's so that we can see the game but still have at least some privacy." Frank Longbottom said from where he was sat with his family. "This box is only used for special guests, so normally the fabric is pulled up to hide this area. Heck, I don't think most of the students even knew that this was here."

"I didn't." Neville agreed. "Did you, Harry?"

"I knew that there was _something_ here, it just never occurred to me to find out what and why." Harry admitted, then he looked up. "Ah, I think that I just heard someone pick up the microphone."

The small speaker set in the corner buzzed for a moment, then it burst into life.

" _Welcome, ladies and Gentlemen, to the Hogwarts Gryffindor/Slytherin Quidditch match…"_

.

"Damn those MACUSA bastards!" James snarled as he stepped out of his tent. "One hour! If we'd got here _one hour_ earlier…"

"I know! You keep saying that!" Mark grumbled. "We failed to save him, whoever he was. Now give it a rest, dammit!"

"Children!" Gellert interrupted their argument. "We have something you should see. Diana?"

Diana's tear-streaked face popped out of her tent. "Yes?"

"Come with me, please. I know it's late, but you might find this interesting."

The three children exchanged confused glances, then followed Gellert into the third tent, the one that they hadn't been in before. All three of them looked round curiously as they entered.

"Why's it so empty?" Mark finally asked. "Our tent has loads of bookcases with books for us to learn from…"

"So does mine." Diana interjected.

"…but you don't have _any_ bookcases, just those trunks… and a _really_ strange table."

"It sorta looks like a soccer pitch… but what's with the baskets?" James asked, his earlier anger temporarily forgotten.

"Oh, you'll like this." Peter chuckled as he entered the room from the kitchen, wheeling a trolley filled almost to overflowing with popcorn, fizzy drinks and other snacks. "Quidditch is like nothing you've ever seen before."

"I agree." Voldemort agreed as he walked in from the dining room, a small rack of models in his hands. As Barty followed him in with a second rack, Voldemort placed the rack into a specially-designed depression on one side. "Gellert, the radio, if you would be so kind?"

Gellert tapped his wand to the radio in the corner as Barty placed the second rack, then to the astonishment of the children, the model figures rose off the racks and started flying out over the model pitch.

"That one there, the most detailed one, is Draco Malfoy." Voldemort pointed to one of the figures that was moving into position. "He is a trusted ally and my agent in Hogwarts. He also plays as one of the Slytherin Chasers and once he comes of age, he will take the mantle of Lord Malfoy."

The model of Madam Hooch flew towards the center of the pitch as the radio finally burst into life.

"… _and here come the teams! First is Slytherin led by Marcus Flint.  
_ _Although he graduated last year, he remains at Hogwarts since  
_ _he is studying advanced Broom design under Madam Hooch. In  
_ _flanking positions are the Beaters Peregrine Derrick and Lucian  
_ _Bole, followed by the Seeker Terence Higgs, the Keeper Miles  
_ _Bletchley and the Chasers, Draco Malfoy and Adrian Pucey._

_The Gryffindor team now enter the field led by their Captain and  
_ _Keeper Oliver Wood with the Seeker Percy Weasley by his side.  
_ _The twin Beaters Fred and George Weasley are next, followed by  
_ _the Chasers, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet and Ron Weasley.  
_ _Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that's four siblings on the same team!_

_Madam Hooch lands and places the box on the ground.  
_ _The captains have landed and, as Madam Hooch watches, they  
_ _shake hands… and they mount their brooms._

_Madam Hooch opens the box and releases the Golden Snitch!"_

"That's the smallest of the four balls, smaller than your fist." Gellert explained quietly as a golden speck appeared, then vanished. "It's the Seeker's job to catch it, doing so ends the game and earns a hundred and fifty points."

" _The Bludgers are released and Madam Hooch takes hold of the  
_ _Quaffle. She throws it up into the air… and Malfoy swoops in and  
_ _snatches it before Spinnet can get it! He passes to Pucey, over to  
_ _Flint, back to Puce… no! Ron Weasley does a_ Hawk From The Sun  
 _and intercepts, sending it straight to Spinnet, who ducks a Bludger  
_ _and passes to Johnson! Back to Spinnet, pass to Weasley who dives  
_ _under Flint and rolls past Pucey. He's closing in on the hoops, but a  
_ _classic_ one-two _from Derrick and Bole force him to break off. Malfoy  
_ _closes in… Malfoy breaks off and climbs towards Johnson… who has  
_ _the Quaffle! A perfect_ Ghost Pass _, I have no idea of when they did it!  
_ _Johnson shoots, but Bletchley alerted by Malfoy and blocks the shot!  
_ _Quaffle to Flint, passes to Malfoy, pass back to Flint who drops it for  
_ _Pucey to grab. Pucey evades Spinnet and… Weasley does a_ perfect  
 _grab and plucks the Quaffle out of Pucey's hands! Pass to Johnson  
_ _who charges forwards, shielded by a_ Bludger Barricade _by the Twins!  
_ _Johnson shoots… ten points to Gryffindor!"_

"The twins are really on their game today." Harry noted as the red-headed boys in question performed a perfectly-synchronised turn to return to their own half of the field. "Malfoy's doing well too. He's obviously been training hard."

"Will that be a problem for you?" Ron asked curiously, then he blinked as both Hermione and Neville burst out laughing. "I'll take that as a no."

"His first match, Harry not only blocked every shot made, he also managed to block both Bludgers so hard, there was nothing left of them other than twisted bits of metal embedded in the turf."

Both of Hermione's parents stared at Harry in amazement, causing him to shift uncomfortably in his seat.

" _Flint takes the Quaffle and swings wide. goes low to avoid the Bludgers.  
_ _Malfoy loops over as Pucey flanks Flint… Weasley blocks and Flint passes  
_ _to Pucey… Johnson intercepts! Johnson feints left, curves right, passes to  
_ _Spinnet but Malfoy takes the Quaffle back and makes a run for the hoops,  
_ _Weasley in hot pursuit, moves to block… and Malfoy sneaks a shot_ _past him!  
Malfoy equalizes and the score is now ten-all!_

_Wood looks annoyed as he retrieves the Quaffle and passes it to Spinnet  
_ _who passes it to Weasley… Percy Weasley dives with Higgs in hot pursuit!  
_ _Weasley and Higgs slicing through the game, heading for the left side of  
_ _the pitch… near-collision between Higgs and Flint, but he gets through…  
_ _There's the Snitch! Percy closing in and the Snitch goes evasive, but Percy  
_ _closing in on it… but he's forced to dodge a Bludger fired by Derrick! Higgs  
_ _closes the gap… the Seekers are almost neck-to-neck as they close in on  
_ _the Snitch… and a Bludger forces them to break off!_

_The Snitch vanishes and… Wood blocks a shot by Malfoy! Weasley takes  
_ _the Quaffle and loops up and over…"_

"This is _intense_!" James exclaimed, jumping up and down in excitement as he tracked the purple glitter of the Quaffle. "I wanna learn to fly like that!"

"My Lord… I could buy some Broomsticks and teach them." Barty offered. "They are magical, so they should be able to…"

"Approved." Voldemort nodded. "We'll have to find a quiet area… and the sessions will be short since tomorrow, we are heading for the next _Obscurial_."

"How did he _do_ that?" Diana burst out, watching agog as Malfoy managed to spiral past Wood and score another goal.

"Malfoy _is_ remarkably gifted on a broom." Voldemort said in approval.

.

"Malfoy is very good." Harry noted as Malfoy swooped past.

"His father was almost as good." Augusta agreed sourly. "He did have a tendency to cheat, though, which is why he ended up being banned. Malfoy seems to be avoiding that trap."

"He's a very good shot." Harry agreed. "I have to work to block him."

"Harry plays as Keeper for our team." Hermione explained to her parents. "He hasn't let in a single goal in the last two years… even in training!"

"Impressive." Ron noted and Harry blushed slightly at the unexpected praise.

.

"Not a single foul so far." Minerva said approvingly from the Teacher's Box. "I remember when Slytherin would have sent at least two of the other team to the Infirmary by this point."

"But none of them were able to make a career in Quidditch." Sirius noted from where he was sprawled across his chair. "What? I checked."

"It is good to see that my House has finally learned the value of true cunning." Severus agreed. "By proving their skill and ability to play by the rules here, they become far more likely to be recruited by the professional teams."

Sirius gave his fellow professor a long look.

"You seem surprised, Black."

"Just… amazed by how things have changed since I was a student here." Sirius admitted. "Before, it was all about trading favors and threatening those who were weaker…"

"Yes. For all his skills in potions, Horace Slughorn wasn't very good at showing the _true_ nature of being Slytherin." Severus sighed. "Admittedly, his Slug Club was useful for those with the wit to use the opportunities that it offered…"

"Such as yourself." Black interjected.

"Such as myself." Snape agreed.

"And my brother." Sirius sighed. "Poor Regulus. Sacrificing himself to try and take down Mouldyshorts."

"I… was unaware of that." Severus admitted. "He was a superior Seeker… He could have become the lead Seeker for any professional club…"

"Except the Harpies."

"…except the Harpies, for obvious reasons." Severus managed not to roll his eyes at Sirius' joking comment. "What did he do?"

"Locket." Sirius supplied and Severus nodded.

"I see."

"Shouldn't you be paying attention to the game?" Remus asked from behind them.

Sirius and Severus exchanged glances, then turned to face the Quidditch field once more.

"… _and Malfoy makes another shot, sneaking it past Wood, putting them  
_ _thirty points in the lead at one-forty to one-twenty. Wood retrieves the  
_ _Quaffle and passes it to Spinnet… Percy Weasley rolls and dives! Higgs is  
_ _caught totally unaware as Weasley races past him and… Weasley has the  
_ _Snitch! Gryffindor wins, two-seventy to one-forty! What a match!"_

"Slytherin lost." James said disbelievingly.

"It was a well-fought game, though." Gellert mused. "And an interesting lesson, too. Sometimes, events beyond your control can cost you more than you expect, even when you're winning."

"It was a cool game, though." Diana shrugged as she fought back a yawn. "I wonder what Draco looks like."

The other two boys stared at her and Gellert gave her a gentle smile.

"I am sure that you will meet him sooner or later, my dear." He said. "However, I do believe that you should all get some sleep. As I got a nap earlier, I'll start driving us to our next destination while you get your rest."

.

"A well-fought game." Severus noted as he stood up. "My congratulations to Mr Percy Weasley, Septima."

"I'll relay that to him." The Head of Gryffindor smiled as she too rose from her chair. "And my respects to Mr Malfoy, he showed great skill. Not many can sneak the Quaffle past Wood."

"He is far better as a Chaser than he would have been as a Seeker." Severus noted. "Draco Malfoy was intelligent… and _cunning_ … enough to realize that. I have high hopes for him, now that he has demonstrated that he can avoid making decisions purely on his ego."

"I know, I know." Sirius waved his hands defensively. "You don't have to say it."

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Lord Black." Severus smirked as the others all tried to muffle their laughter.

"Suuuuuu-uuuuuuure you don't." Sirius rolled his eyes as he rose to leave the box, passing by Severus as he did so. The other teachers followed suit, leaving Severus standing at the front, looking out over the pitch as the audience slowly filed out. Glancing round, he rolled up his sleeve slightly.

"Jorel, I wish to leave a message for Lord Potter…"


	20. Practice

The crash of Harry slamming down onto the crash-mats covering the floor of the now-pretty-much-official Dojo echoed enough that those practising various katas in the corners turned to watch as Filius Flitwick completed his counter by twisting Harry's arm so that it pointed straight up, pinning Harry face-down on the ground.

"You win." Harry grumbled into the mat. "You're good at this."

"Good reflexes, experience and goblin battle-training." Filius shrugged as he reduced the tension on Harry's arm before releasing it. "It doesn't hurt that _Torquasm Rao_ is a surprisingly logical yet effective fighting style."

"Holy…" Sirius shook his head in disbelief from where he had been learning one of the basic katas. "Okay. Filius, if you ever challenge me to a wandless fight, I know just what to do. Run like hell."

Filius joined in the laughter as Harry climbed back to his feet.

* * *

.

"…and _time_!"

Draco breathed a sigh of relief, but made sure that he kept hold of the Quaffle that he had just caught. As he descended, he glowered at Pucey, who had responded to the end of the exercise by doing a high-speed dive in order to land as soon as possible.

Idiot.

Once again, Flint didn't reprimand his fellow-Chaser about his show-boating, confirming to Draco that the Eighth-year student was unsuited to _proper_ Quidditch, despite being one of the best Chasers in Slytherin. Touching down lightly, Draco caught the glare that Pucey gave him.

"Pucey, you need to work on your catching." Flint stated. "You missed seven of those passes and fumbled three more. Until you get it down to two and one respectively, I'm banning you from drinking any Firewhiskey. I don't care if you think the buzz helps, you need to get it while _sober_. Higgs, good work on the Seeker drills, but see if you can get a better broom. Yes, I know the Starblazer 265 was a gift from your father, but try to get a Comet S3 like Weasley's. Better speed and accel are far more important than embedded decorations. Bletchley, you're good, but you ain't no Potter. You need to work on predicting the shots and using feints to make the Chasers aim where you _want_ them to aim. Re-read that book I gave you. I don't care how dry it is, the information will help."

Draco listened thoughtfully. While Flint might not be as good a player as he _thought_ he was, his skills and the fact he was studying Broom Design/Maintenance would let him forge a career as a Quidditch Coach.

Maybe he should check his father's files to see if he had once had contacts in that area.

He couldn't ask his mother, she was still annoyed with him over the Hippogryph incident…

* * *

.

"Hello, everyone!" Hagrid greeted the class cheerfully. "Got another treat for you all today, dey're in this paddock here."

Harry stared at the winged horses. Unlike the Pegasi that he had seen in fairy tale books, these ones were almost cadaverously thin and their wings, rather than being covered in feathers, were bat-like.

"Hagrid… there's nothing there." Ron Weasley said after a moment.

"You can't see the winged horses?" Hermione asked curiously, earning a thoughtful look from Hagrid, then he pulled out a piece of raw meat from a small pouch and held it out over the fence. One of the larger winged horses trotted over and grabbed the meat from Hagrid's hand. For a moment, the meat dangled like a gory tongue from its mouth, then it started to swallow it, tossing its head occasionally to maneuver more of the meat into its mouth.

"What… the… hell?" One of the other students asked, sounding shocked.

"Thestrals." Hagrid waved one hand at the odd herd. "Intelligent flyin' horses like Pegasi, but unless ye've seen someone die, they're invisible."

Harry exchanged glances with Neville and Hermione, who both nodded to indicate that they remembered seeing the creatures pulling the carriages.

"They're meat-eaters, but they eat carrion or small critters like rats." Hagrid continued. "They're friendly and used to pull the carriages. If ye can't see 'em, wear one o' those specs."

Harry hid a slight smirk at the sight of the apparently-normal spectacles in a basket hanging from the fence, spectacles that boasted the S-in-a-diamond on the arms that marked them as having been constructed by Jor-El. As the students helped themselves, Harry moved to the edge of the pens where one of the Thestrals ambled over to him.

"Whoah! Those look _weird_!" Ron exclaimed in shock as he squinted at the Thestrals through his spectacles, then pulled them off so that he could confirm that without the artificial aids, the winged horses were truly invisible.

"Beautiful critters, ain't they?" Hagrid grinned as he fed a second Thestral. "Some wizards see them as bad news, but that's just cause ye have to have seen someone die afore you can see them. The Ministry classifies them as a four-X rating, but that is totally unjust. They're dead clever an' can unnerstann people. If yer needin ta get somewhere fast, a Thestral will getcha there."  
"'Ogwarts has the largest Thestral herd in Europe, most are maybe a coupla-dozen or a few-score. Here, we 'ave more than two-hundred of these wunnerful beasts…"

* * *

.

Severus looked up as someone knocked on the door to his office.

"Enter." He barked, moving the pile of barely-adequate homework essays to one side and the door opened. "Lord Potter."

"Professor Snape." Harry said with a nod of respect just short of a bow. "You wished to speak with me about something?"

Severus motioned for Harry to be seated and leaned back, steepling his fingers.

"For the last few years, I have been keeping a careful eye on you, Lord Potter." He finally said. "You have proven yourself to be nothing like your father once was, for which I am grateful. Your skills far exceed his in almost every field bar transfiguration and even there, you are at a similar level. However, there is one field of magic which has the potential to be very dangerous to you."

Severus paused, then rolled up his left sleeve to reveal the dark tattoo on it.

"A legacy of my youthful stupidity, but one which proves that the one who has tried to kill you is still out there… still _alive_." He almost hissed as he rolled the sleeve back down. "He has tried to kill you as a child and last year too. Both times, he fell."

"He tried in my first year when he was possessing Quirrel. I beat him then as well" Harry added, earning a raised eyebrow.

"So it _was_ you. I had suspected. But I digress. He tried to kill you with his preferred curse and failed. He attempted to kill you in front of his allies and again, he failed when you removed his ability to use magic. However, there is a form of magic which works even within an area such as that which you created, _legilimency_. The Dark Lord is a master of _legilimency_ and I have seen him use it to kill someone who had failed him. He shredded his mind and left him so damaged that he forgot how to breathe."

Harry winced.

"There is a defence against it called _Occlumency_. It is the art of organizing and protecting ones mind. If you think you need to learn, I can teach you or I can provide a list of known _Occlumens_ Masters whom the Dark Lord marked as targets."

"I have a pretty good mind." Harry mused. "Is there such a thing as a natural _Occlumens_?"

"They are rare." Severus shrugged slightly. "Do you believe yourself to be one?"

"Not sure." Harry admitted. "Is there a test?"

Severus pulled out his wand. "There is. With your permission, Lord Potter?"

Harry nodded and Severus pointed the wand at him. " _Legilimens_."

Most  
minds were  
but shifting clouds of  
constant thought and floating  
memories that intersected in ways  
that defied normal description. Severus  
had expected Harry's mind to be similar but  
instead he found himself in a mind-palace of a type  
he had never encountered before, a construct of angled  
crystals rising to an apex far above him. The crystals were lit  
from the inside, casting a white light that ensured that no shadows  
could be cast. _**Where is this place?**_ Severus mused, then he jolted in shock  
as a voice answered. _**This is my mind, Professor.**_ Severus looked round again,  
then he nodded. _**Very impressive, Lord Potter, but can you drive me out now that  
**_ _ **I've made my way in?**_ There was no reply for a long moment, then the light flashed brightly.

Severus jolted in his seat as his mental probe was forcibly shattered. Dropping his wand, he rubbed at his head, calling on his years of expertise as both a _Legilimens_ and _Occlumens_ to dull the pain lancing through his mind.

"Professor, are you alright?"

"I will be." Severus lowered his hands. "You have an _incredibly_ powerful defense. I am impressed."

"It's an old style called _Torquasm Vo_." Harry smiled. "It's the mental counterpart to _Torquasm Rao_ …"

"…which you have been teaching to those willing to learn." Severus finished, his voice tinged with respect. "It was like nothing I have ever encountered before. I do not think the Dark Lord will fare any better than I did."

"Good to hear." Harry relaxed slightly. "So… anything else you wish to cover at this point, sir?"

"I believe that we have covered the essentials." Severus mused. "From what I have heard from Professor Tonks, you are applying yourself well in her classes and I have seen your practices with Duel-Master Flitwick. No, I believe that we are indeed finished for the day. Thank you for your time."

"And thank you for yours, Professor." Harry replied as he rose from the chair.

"Potter!" Severus called as Harry reached the door. "For future reference, when you are explaining your plans to your friends, _check_ to see if anyone else is listening in first."

"…oh. Okay… thank you…"

* * *

.

The shattered remains of the tree crashed into the ground and Voldemort watched with an approving smile as all three of his weapons reformed from their _Obscurial_ forms without any hint of the pain that _obscurials_ normally went through, pain caused by their rejection of their power and thus the growing damage that each transition wrought on them.

"That was _fun_!" Diana jumped up and down as the two boys exchanged fist-bumps. "Hah! Take that, dad! Useless waste of space doomed to eternal hellfire, am I? _You_ can't wreck a tree like that!"

"And soon you'll also have a mansion to live in." Voldemort interjected, causing Diana's almost-manic grin to widen. "Once we have reformed the Wizarding World and set it on the correct path, you will have a life of luxury. All of you will."

"And more comics?" James asked eagerly.

"All the back-issues will be yours as well as the time you will need to read them all." Voldemort said magnanimously. "As well as plenty of snacks to keep you going."

Both boys cheered, then Voldemort glanced over at where Gellert was waving for him.

"If you'll excuse me for a moment, please."

The three kids watched him go, then Mark turned to Diana. "So… what do you think of the Justice League comics?"

"Hawkgirl's awesome." Diana grinned, then she frowned. "But during the Dark Imperium attack, did you see what Omni-Man said? He said _Get off MY planet!_ "

Both boys exchanged confused looks.

"So?"

"He's Viltrumite. He comes from Viltrum. It's _Viltrum_ that's his planet, right?"

Both boys looked at her, their expressions indicating that they were on the very edge of understanding and just needed that one final push.

"So, why would he refer to Earth as _his_ planet?"

.

"We've lost the chance to recruit another of the _Obscurials_." Gellert stated with a frown. "However, I've got a good location of the closest one that's still active, it's only an hour's drive from here."

"Then since MACUSA seems to be rather more capable than we had assumed, we really should get moving." Voldemort agreed. "Where are the others?"

"Getting supplies." Gellert glanced at the lane vanishing into the woods. "We're running low on breakfast cereal…"

"And keeping our weapons happy is vital." Voldemort agreed. "But once they return, we move."

"Agreed."

"And we may need more Calming Draughts to lace their food with. We're getting low."

"Agreed. Cheering Charms don't work all that well on _Obscurials_ and the sooner they fully recover from the residual trauma of their pasts, the better they'll be able to fight. I'll brew some more tonight."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the comic Invincible, Omni-Man shouts "Get off my planet!" when fighting off an alien invasion launched via portal.  
> It was a very clever bit of foreshadowing…


	21. New Viewpoints

"Arthur! Molly!" Tom called out in greeting to the pair who had just emerged from the Floo. "How are my two favourite redheads?"

"Doing fine, Tom." Arthur Weasley replied with a wide smile while Molly giggled and waved hello. "We decided that we wanted a meal out and some entertainment. Since our daughter is playing Quidditch at Hogwarts today…"

"I _thought_ you'd be here for that. I've saved you a table." Tom motioned to a small, round table with a pair of chairs arranged so that the occupants would be able to watch the relayed match while still being able to eat. "Just tap what you want on the menu and I'll bring it out to you."

"Thanks, Tom." Arthur nodded in gratitude as he and Molly made their way to the table. As Molly picked up her menu and perused it, Arthur looked round, then his eyes were caught by an odd addition on the ceiling above the Quidditch table.

"The pork looks good." Molly mused and Arthur tore his eyes away from the strange object and turned them to his menu.

"I think I'll go for the lamb cutlets." He decided, tapping his wand against the words on the menu. "Molly?"

"I'll go for the pork medallions." Molly decided, tapping her own menu, then stowing her wand. "Not as many people here as I expected…"

"I daresay that with the richer ones having their own tables and inviting their allies to watch, they don't have any real reason to show up here, hence more room for us."

"They'll be back when word gets out of the new addition." Tom smiled as he slid their plates in front of them, the cutlery floating round to slide into position ready to use. "That up there, that's a new thing by Evans Enterprise's Kitsune Broadcasting Division. It uses something that the muggles can't intercept. Evans Enterprises calls it a SwitchLink and apparently one of them can both provide power and information to a score or more devices. The SwitchLink for the projector there is out the back and it links to the radio too. Means that the weather never causes problems any more."

"Sounds interesting." Arthur noted. "How much does it cost?"

"Quite a bit." Tom shrugged as he summoned a couple of bottles and glasses. "They expect the price to drop quite quickly, but for now, I've got the first at less than cost in exchange for mentioning it to anyone who's interested."

"Ahhh, advertising." Arthur noted and Tom nodded in agreement.

"Yep… and the match should be starting soon. Enjoy."

Tom vanished and a moment later, the radio burst into life, sounding as if the announcer was standing in the room with them.

" _Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen, to the second Hogwarts  
_ _Quidditch Match with the Hufflepuff team going up against  
_ _the Ravenclaw team! And here they come!"_

Arthur's eyebrows shot up as above the Quidditch table, six semi-transparent screens appeared just below the ceiling, each one angled so that a good portion of the room could see them easily. From where he sat, he could easily see two of them and they both had the same image, that of the Hufflepuff team emerging from the entry tunnel, an action that was being replicated by the models of the Quidditch table below.

" _Leading the Hufflepuff team is their captain and Seeker, Jeanne  
_ _Kenyon with the Beaters Maxine O'Flaherty and Anthony Rickett  
_ _following, then their Keeper Herbert Fleet. Last, but not least, are  
_ _the Chasers Cedric Diggory, Tamsin Applebee and Malcom Preece.  
_ _The three of them are facing an incredible challenge today, for here  
_ _come their competition, the Ravenclaws led by their Captain Roger  
_ _Davies flanked by fellow chasers Anna Gedes and Ginny Weasley.  
_ _Behind them comes their Keeper, Harry Potter, and their Seeker, Cho  
_ _Chang, then their Beaters, Duncan Inglebee and Jason Samuels!"_

Molly squeaked with pride as the screen briefly focused on Ginny as she flew into the stadium.

" _The teams are taking their positions as the Captains land beside  
_ _Madam Rolanda Hooch, today's Referee. They shake hands and  
_ _take to their brooms as Hoock opens the box, releasing the Snitch  
_ _and then the Bludgers! She takes the Quaffle and mounts her own  
_ _broom, rising into the air… and she throws the Quaffle! Applebee  
_ _swoops in to catch it, but Weasley darts in and snatches it almost  
_ _from her hand! Weasley pulls into a Rising Hawk, then spins out in  
_ _a controlled dodge, using the spin to throw the Quaffle to Davies!  
_ _Davies dodges a Bludger and passes to Gedes… but Applebee gets  
_ _the Quaffle with a well-timed Falcon Dive! Weasley dives in pursuit  
_ _but Applebee has too much lead… Applebee shoots… and Potter's  
_ _saved it with awell-timed punch! Weasley grabs the Quaffle, loops  
_ _to the right and accelerates towards the Hufflepuff hoops!"_

"Go, Ginny!" Molly sheered, her meal temporarily forgotten as she cheered her daughter on. "You can do it!"

Arthur chuckled and Molly looked at him. "What?"

"Just remembering all your attempts to stop her from flying when she was younger as it was _un-ladylike_." Arthur grinned and Molly blushed with embarrassment.

" _Weasley passes to Davies, quick drop to Gedes who does a back  
_ _pass back to Weasley! Davies and Gedes do a scissor-roll and peel  
_ _out, clearing the way for Weasley who shoots… and an_ incredible  
 _save by Fleet! Applebee takes the Quaffle… and drops it as Chang  
_ _dives past,Kenyon in hot pursuit… Weasley grabs the Quaffle and  
_ _Fleet did_ not _see that shot coming! Ten-Zero to Ravenclaw! Chang  
_ _pulls up and Kenyon looks annoyed, seems that Chang pulled one  
_ _over her with that dive."_

"That was very sneaky." Gellert noted admiringly and the four _Obscurials_ watching the match all nodded in agreement. "It would seem that the Ravenclaws have worked out tactics in order to use the Seeker almost as an additional Bludger, and a self-directed one at that."

"When do we learn to fly?" The newest (and rather muddy) addition asked curiously.

"Once we have enough brooms for you to practice on, Peter." Voldemort replied smoothly. "For now, let us watch."

The recently-renamed Peter Pan nodded and turned back, just in time to see Chang diving again. "Wow! Look at her go!"

"… _and Chang dives again, Kenyon following as she loops round  
_ _the Ravenclaw poles… Chang pulls up again and Kenyon is not  
_ _happy at having been spoofed twice in a row… Gedes performs  
_ _a perfect Griffin's Pounce, deflecting the Quaffle into the hoop,  
_ _scoring another ten points for Ravenclaw!_

"Well done!" Sirius cheered from the Teacher's box. "Nice work!"

"You know," Remus mused, "When the Ravenclaw versus Gryffindor match happens, which team will _you_ be cheering for?"

"That's not fair." Sirius pouted as Minerva fought the urge to smirk at the eternal man-child. "Why do you keep coming up with things like that, Moony?"

"Someone has to be the intelligent one."

"Hey!"

"… _and Diggory does a Snaking Spear between the Ravenclaw  
_ _Chasers, setting himself up for a shot… but Potter blocks it with  
_ _a Potter Punt, swinging from his broom and kicking the Quaffle  
_ _to Davies! Davies does an Immelmann Turn and races down the  
_ _pitch with the Hufflepuffs in hot pursuit… they force him to peel  
_ _off… and he doesn't have the Quaffle! He did a Ghost Pass to  
_ _Gedes, who takes the shot… and Fleet manages to block it! The  
_ _Quaffle is taken by Applebee, passed to Diggory… Diggory ducks  
_ _a Bludger as he does a low dive, racing up the pitch almost in the  
_ _grass, he pulls up and prepares to shoot… but it's game over! The  
_ _Snitch has been caught by Cho Chang and Kenyon looking totally  
_ _incandescent with anger at being tricked by the previous feints!_

_The final score is one-seventy to the Ravenclaws with zero points  
_ _to the Hufflepuffs despite their best efforts… and Roger Davies  
_ _offers his hand to Jeanne Kenyon, but she flies off. Obviously not  
_ _a good sportswoman. Yes, ladies and gentlewizards, this short  
_ _yet intense match is over, the Ravenclaws winning one-seventy  
_ _to zero!"_

Ponoma Sprout gave the captain of her House's Quidditch team a very disappointed look as the teenaged girl flew out of the arena, then she turned to her diminutive fellow Head of House.

"If your team keep this up, they'll end up with the Cup again."

"I do believe that you are right." Filius preened, then he frowned thoughtfully. "I would have expected Kenyon to have been more aggressive in chasing the Snitch, though…"

"So would I." Sprout half-growled. "That girl's been slacking off and I _will_ find out why."

.

"Well, that was an exciting match." Arthur smiled as he watched the Ravenclaw team perform a lap of victory on the projected screens, waving to the cheering crowd. "Ginny certainly seems to be excelling in her role as a Chaser."

"Yes, she does." Molly agreed, having shifted her chair around a bit so that she could sit with her husband's arm around her. "The final match will be quite difficult, though. I mean, my sons on one team, my daughter on the other… who will I cheer for?"

"Probably both sides." Arthur suggested, chuckling slightly. "Of course, we have until May to sort it out…"

Molly let out a wordless hum of contentment as she watched her daughter's team exit the stadium in almost perfect formation, then the screens dissolved into nothingness as the stepped floor rose back to its regular flat state. A wave of Tom's wand slid the Quidditch table into a corner where a curtain moved across to hide it, then the proprietor ambled over.

"Your daughter's a good flier." He noted and Molly nodded proudly.

"That she is, Tom. That she is."

* * *

.

The sound of the campervan's engine sounded through the tent door as Barty took up the driving duty.

"James, Mark, why not show Peter where the showers are, then get some new clothes for him from the store-room. Diana…"

"I'm still working on those maths problems." The lone girl pouted, then she turned to her favorite magical. "Grandpa, can you help me, please?"

"Of course I can." Gellert smiled at the young girl. "If you bring your book into the van, I'll help you work through them."

"Yay!" Diana cheered, then she darted out of the common room.

"You seem to be quite fond of her." Voldemort noted as he placed the models back on the storage shelves.

"She reminds me somewhat of the second _Obscurial_ I encountered." Gellert shrugged. "Adrianna Dumbledore… my old friend Albus' sister. She brings back many memories for me. Memories of when Albus and I worked together in the hopes of building a new world."

For a long moment, no-one spoke, then Gellert turned and exited the tent. Voldemort watched him go, then cast a silencing spell at the door, followed by a series of detection spells before finally breaking the silence.

"Peter."

"Yes, my Lord?" Pettigrew asked quietly.

"I think that our esteemed ally is starting to go soft on us." Voldemort gave the now-empty tent door a considering look. "While he is still useful, we may need a way to dispose of him… preferably in a manner which does not cause our weapons to suspect that _we_ did it. At the very least, it will need to look like an accident."

"Yes, my Lord." Peter agreed almost instantly.

"You were a Marauder. Do you remember any of they ways that they cast suspicion on others?"

Peter frowned in thought. "I… remember a few, but I do not believe that they would be useful here, my Lord."

"Try to remember more." Voldemort said, still looking at the empty doorway. "I do not wish to have to move against Gellert… at the very least, the sheer amount of knowledge he has accumulated should not be allowed to vanish with him, but if he decides to turn against us… or even simply decides to withhold his support, he will be a threat to our cause."

"I understand, my Lord."

"I know you do, my Inquisitor. I know you do."

.

Gellert hid his frown as the monitoring spell carried the words of his current allies to him. Rather than rely on a monitoring charm _in_ the tent, he had used the fact that he needed far less sleep to put small pipes through the walls of the tents. The pipes were charmed to collect sound and relay it, but only the portion _outside_ the tents were imbued by the spells, thus ensuring that no amount of spellwork inside the tents would find them. Only a _physical_ check would, and most magicals would never think of doing such a thing.

At the time, it was almost reflexive paranoia that had inspired him to do it, but sometimes, paranoia paid off.

He was far past his prime and would not be able to hold his own against Riddle in combat, far less all three of the Magicals.

"Grandpa!"

Gellert smiled at the young _Obscurial_. He was, after all, a master of deception and persuasion. Once he had swung the _Obscurials_ to his side, he would be protected against Riddle's inevitable betrayal.

And then he would have sole control over the living weapons, allowing him to finally put his long-delayed plan into action.

"Alright, Diana." He leaned over the table to look at the opened book. "Which part is giving you trouble?"


	22. Making Arrangements

"Christmas is coming up." Hermione noted as she looked out at the freezing drizzle that was blanketing the grounds of Hogwarts. "Is it your turn to host the Christmas Ball?"

"It is." Harry agreed as he worked on his Potions essay at the nearby table. "Naturally, you and Nev are both invited, as are your families. Sirius and Remus have already accepted, as has Uncle Fil. Since they're Sirius' family, Narcissa and Draco Malfoy will also have to be invited. Jor-El is sending out the invitations."

"Don't the Malfoys usually host their own Ball?" Hermione frowned.

"Given that Lucius Malfoy was discovered dead and wearing tailored Death Eater robes at a gathering of Death Eaters, along with a great many of his social and political contemporaries, the Malfoys are under a considerable amount of scrutiny right now. Uncle Padfoot told me that he doesn't expect the Malfoys to host any social events, bar birthday celebrations, until after Draco takes up his Lordship."

Hermione nodded thoughtfully. "Will you be inviting Madam Warbeck?"

"As a guest, yes." Harry looked up from his essay. "I like her, she's great fun, but I refuse to risk straining that friendship by asking for unnecessary favors from her. I have asked for her opinion on whom I should hire this year and she made a few suggestions that Uncle Moony is pursuing for me."

"That's nice of him." Hermione remarked almost absent-mindedly.

"I'll also be using the Ball to showcase some Evans Enterprises technology." Harry added and Hermione gave him a querying look. "Film projection, communication screens… last week, Saint Mungo's took possession of a Diagnostic Arch which has allowed them to treat over three times as many people per hour since it can detect and analyse most curses and potions, allowing for the immediate use of the counter-spell or negation potion required."

"…wow." Hermione breathed. "How long before that enters the Muggle world?"

"A while yet." Harry sighed. "The problem is raising the technology level enough so that things like the Diagnostic Arch are impressive, but not suspicious. Making sure the foundations are in place and the development is… trackable… is very important, if only to deflect unwanted attention."

"True." Hermione agreed, then she looked round as Neville strolled up to them, his arm wrapped around Ginny's shoulders.

"Harry, Hermione." Neville greeted as he pulled out a chair and helped Ginny sit down before flopping into his own chair. "Harry, the afternoon practice has been postponed for today, mainly because of the weather."

"We're not going to be able to do much in the way of drills out there." Ginny pouted, although her eyes sparkled. "Shame, I was looking forwards to _finally_ getting the Quaffle past you."

Harry cocked an eyebrow at her and Neville chuckled, only to receive a gentle elbow to his stomach.

"Violent girl." He mock-complained.

"Six older brothers." Ginny returned and Neville looked thoughtful before nodding.

"That would explain it."

A scurrying sound heralded the appearance of a soaked Luna Lovegood who introduced herself by climbing onto Harry's lap and snuggling against him.

"Luna!" Hermione exclaimed and the blond girl looked over at her.

"What? Harry's warm and it's not fun flying in the rain."

"I got this." Neville pulled out his wand and a moment later, Luna was dry. Harry looked down at her as she gave Nevile a smile, then snuggled against his chest.

"Um, you're dry, Luna."

"Mmm-hmmm."

"Comfy?"

Luna nodded. "Yep, you have the second-comfiest lap here."

"Who's got the comfiest?" Ginny asked before she could stop herself and Luna pointed at Hermione.

"Not gonna ask." Neville raised his hands defensively as Hermione pointedly looked out of the window. Ginny and Harry exchanged quizzical looks, then stared at their friend.

"The stands were very crowded at the last Quidditch game." Hermione finally admitted after almost a full minute of trying to withstand the inquisitive silence. "And _someone_ had to prevent her from pulling out her broom and flying out onto the pitch."

"I was kidding about that!" Luna protested from the shelter of Harry's arm.

"It's hard to tell with you!"

Harry shook his head as he rolled up the parchment and tied it closed with a short ribbon.

"That's all my homework done for now." He said. "So… I was thinking of looking around Hogsmead this afternoon. You know, look at the shops, grab some food at teatime, see if there's a cottage or small house available to buy… that sort of thing."

"Planning another Switching Room setup, are you?" Neville asked wryly.

"If I can get a house, I can have Jor-El put another Mage-reactor underneath, giving me a second impregnable home and the ability to provide optical cable connections to the village."

"Certainly more energy-efficient than the SwitchLink system." Hermione noted.

"And with a secure SwitchLink between the new house and the Pottery, Jor-El can run both in realtime." Harry shrugged slightly.

"Changing the subject, who have you got for your Ball? Is Mrs Warbeck singing again?"

"Actually, no, but her niece is." Harry replied and Luna perked up.

"You have _Spellbound_ singing for you? They're my favorite band!" She exclaimed. "Please tell me I'm invited! Please? Please please _please_ please _please_?"

"Of course you are." Harry laughed. "You too, Ginny. Your whole family, if they want."

Ginny let out a squeak of pleasure, then blushed as she clapped her hands over her mouth as the others tried hard not to laugh at her reaction.

* * *

.

Draco glowered at the letter he had received, then his head rose as he heard a noise from the dresser. Walking over, he opened the drawer and pulled out the small mirror within.

"Narcissa."

The mirror briefly fogged over, then cleared to reveal a face that wasn't his own.

" _Hello, my little dragon."_

"Hello, mother." Draco said, a small smile forming on his face. "I was not expecting you to call."

" _Something came up, Draco."_ Narcissa said soberly. _"I have received an invitation to the Potter Christmas Ball and it mentioned in the accompanying letter that you will have an invitation as well."_

"It arrived less than an hour ago." Draco confirmed, lifting his free hand to show the gilt-edged embossed parchment he was holding. "Mother… would this not clash with _our_ Ball?"

" _It would_ if _we were holding one."_ Narcissa stated, earning a querying eyebrow. _"My beloved dragon, your father's decisions prior to his demise, coupled with how he was found, has cost us much of our political capital, not to mention many of our former allies. Those who still remain are either not of the right social class to attend a Ball that we may host or are under just as much scrutiny as we ourselves are, if not more. Until we have rebuilt our reputation, we cannot afford to take any more chances, not when we have lost so much, my son."_

"I understand, mother." Draco unwillingly agreed. "Do you wish me to pass the acceptance of our invitations to Lord Potter?"

" _That would help, my son."_ Narcissa said proudly. _"I shall have mine written and sent to you within the next two hours."_

"I shall also write my own acceptance letter and deliver it at the same time." Draco replied.

" _I am proud of you, my son. My letter will be with you soon. Mirror off."_

* * *

.

"I have to say, I expected… more." Harry admitted as he looked up and down Hogsmeade high street. "Less than two-dozen shops and barely as many houses…"

"To be fair, you must remember…"  
"…that with Apparition, Floo and Portkeys…"  
"…wizards and witches don't need…"  
"…to live near where they shop." A pair of familiar voices stated and Harry turned with a smile.

"George, Fred, your sister sends her love."

"Hang on, how did you do that?" Hermione asked curiously. "I mean, I know that they're Fred and George, but how did you tell them apart?"

Harry paused, then he stepped up to the twins.

"Pardon me a moment… Look here, Hermione. Fred is the one with the extra freckle _here_ while George has a small discoloration in his left iris, just underneath the pupil."

"Huh… so he does." Hermione mused as she leaned in for a closer look at George's eye. The twin looked rather disconcerted at the sudden attention while beside him, Fred grinned.

"Should I leave so that you two can get a room?"

Hermione jolted away from George, her cheeks flaming red as George gaped in shock. Fred ducked his brother's dope-slap with the effortless ease of long practice as he chuckled at their reactions.

"Since you have more experience than we do," Harry tried to pull the situation back under control, "Would you know where I can find out if I can purchase a house?"

"You need Aberforth." George said, abandoning his efforts to stop his brother laughing at him. "He's in the Hog's Head and he knows _everything_ that's going on in the village. We're heading to Zonko's, which is a little way past the Hog's Head, so we can show you."

"Thank you." Harry said as Fred moved to lead the way.

.

The man slouching behind the rough bar of the Hog's Head bore a strong resemblance to Albus Dumbledore, although his robes were of a utilitarian brown and his beard was only chest-length. As Harry entered on his own (Hermione and Neville having gone to look at some of the other shops), the barkeeper looked up at him.

"Nothing stronger than butterbeer for you. Until you hit at least sixteen, that's all I'll sell you. You don't like it, head elsewhere." He declared firmly.

"That's not why I'm here, Mr Aberforth." Harry explained as he came to a stop by the bar. "I've been informed that if anything happens in Hogsmead, you are the one most likely to know about it."

"I keep my ears open." Aberforth admitted. "And my mouth _closed_."

Harry tilted his head slightly. "And how much for an answer to a question?"

"Depends on the question, Lord Potter." Aberforth shot back.

"Is there a house in Hogsmeade that's available to purchase?"

Aberforth gave him a long look. "Thought you already had a big home."

Harry leaned closer. "Mr Aberforth, although I don't _need_ a house in Hogsmead, it would be very convenient for me to have one. Do you know of one?"

Aberforth leaned over the bar, a slight smile on his face. "That I do, Lord Potter. And for a small fee, I can get the wizard in question to talk to you."

Harry looked round at the Hogs Head and the floating lanterns in the corners that provided the meager illumination. "Three sickles for the name, a Galleon for a meeting."

"He'll be here within minutes." Aberforth chuckled as he swept up the golden coin, leaving the silver ones alone. "Have a Butterbeer, on the house."

Harry accepted the bottle and used his thumb to remove the metal cap sealing it while Aberforth bustled through a small doorway. A moment later, he returned and picked up a goblet, proceeding to rub at it with a dirty rag. Harry took a sip of the Butterbeer, then paused, looking at it.

"Mr Aberforth… is this _really_ Butterbeer? I've had Butterbeer before and this tastes… _deeper_ , for lack of a better term."

"Aye, that's Butterbeer, alright." Aberforth nodded. "Hog's Head Butterbeer, not that mass-brewed so-called Butterbeer that you could pour back into the horse it came from."

Harry took another careful sip of the drink he was holding. "There's… cinnamon? A little bit of lemon… no. _Lemongrass_ … and a couple of other bits…"

Aberforth gave him a look of grudging respect. "Not bad. Most don't even get the cinnamon."

Before Harry could reply, a figure burst in through the door.

"Dammit, Aberforth!" The man half-snarled. "I told you, I'll pay you next week!"

Harry gave Aberforth a questioning look and received a nod in reply. Retrieving the metal cap, he squeezed it over the lip of the neck to seal the bottle, then dropped it into his robe pocket as he turned to face the newcomer.

"I believe that I can help." He smiled. "You have a house you wish to sell, yes?"

"And you ar… Harry Potter?" The newcomer gasped. "Wow! It's a real pleasure to meet you!"

"Ummm… thank you?"

* * *

.

"So, you have a house?" Hermione asked.

"I have a house." Harry confirmed as Hogwarts rose against the darkening sky ahead of them. "I sent Gilligan to Gringotts to collect the money and after signing the contract… that house is now mine. Jor-El used the shuttle to transport a SwitchLink and Switching Cabinet over so that he could begin the modifications. And yes, before you ask, it's taking over from the Diagon Flat as the Switching Loci between our trunks and homes. With the Wards that Jor-El will be installing plus the extra space, it'll work a lot better."

"I can see that." Neville agreed as he shifted the bag he was holding to his other hand. "Plus, having it this close to Hogwarts makes it easier to get here if something happens to our trunks."

"That did play a large part in my thought process, yes." Harry admitted.


	23. Holiday Plans

"…so there I was, totally naked in the middle of the Great Hall, everyone staring at me and Professor _Flitwick_ strolls over." Sirius chuckled ruefully. "I stand to attention and say _Sir, I'm afraid that I can only report partial success on that Alternative Invisibility Charm project you assigned_. Now, Flitwick looks up at me, then he says _I can see that it was a failure. I suggest you go back to your room and find some way of covering up its shortcomings._ "

Harry snorted into his drink and accepted a towel from Gilligan to mop his face clean.

"Anyway, I scurry out there and get new robes on and later on, I found out that when Flitwick played along, he and I accidentally convinced everyone that I _hadn't_ been naked, only my robes had been, so McGonogall didn't bother to even take points despite me flashing the whole school!"

Harry put down his drink before he could spill it.

"You were nuts." He shook his head and from across the room, Remus looked up from the paperwork that he had on the small desk that Gilligan had provided for him.

"I'm sorry, _were_ nuts? He still is."

"I resemble that remark." Sirius chuckled.

Harry shook his head in amused despair, then glanced over at Remus.

"By the way, what are you doing over there, Remus?"

"Just finishing a few things for Padfoot." Remus shrugged. "Okay, Sirius. I just need your signature here to finish it off."

Sirius rose to his feet and ambled over to where Remus was holding out a quill for him to use. Taking it, he looked over the sheet of parchment, then signed it.

"And done!" He declaimed. "Thank goodness. Bad enough having to mark all that schoolwork, but sorting out the mess of the Black finances? Urgh."

"Hey, _I_ did most of it for you." Remus protested.

"And you got paid very well for doing so." Sirius shot back without hesitation. Remus opened his mouth to reply, paused, then shrugged.

"True. True."

"So. You got everything sorted for the Ball? And when is it?"

"Yes and Boxing Day." Harry replied after finishing off the remains of his drink. "I'm joining Hermione at her parents home on Christmas itself, Neville will be there as well. I'll be heading over for lunch and staying until after dinner."

"Have you been there before?" Sirius asked and Harry shook his head.

"Nope. I'm looking forwards to seeing Hermione's home. I know Neville's looking forwards to seeing what a non-magical home is like."

"You know, I visited your mother's home once." Sirius mused. "It was after she finally agreed to give James a chance. I… was _fascinated_ by the light-switches. Kept turning the lights off and on. Lily didn't let me live it down for _months_. She even came up with stick-on light-switches charmed to turn the dormitory lights on and off and had your father place them in the dorm for her. First time I saw McGonogall actually laugh..."

Harry leaned back as Sirius continued to reminisce with the occasional comment thrown in by Remus.

* * *

.

"That's it." Gellert said almost sadly as he looked at his _Obscurial_ Detector. "MACUSA just got the last one."

"They do seem to have upped their game, don't they?" Voldemort asked almost rhetorically as shouts of excitement sounded outside. "So, five for now. Do you think that there will be more back in England?"

Gellert frowned in thought. "Possible, but unlikely. I only ever encountered one over there and her brothers had managed to develop spells to restrain her during her fits. It was her that got me interested in _Obscurials_ , but I didn't see their true power until I went to America. I would have been able to persuade that _Obscurial_ to join me, had it not been for Newt Scamander."

"And now we have _five_ , not one, all of whom are able to control their power and trust us." Voldemort smirked. "Now, how do we get them back to the UK? Portkeys are out, even if they did work with _Obscurials_ , they would be detected…"

"Which means a Muggle method is required." Gellert noted. "Although I have a slight fondness for cruise ships, it would take several weeks to cross the ocean and I am not certain if the children would be able to restrain themselves from using their powers for that long."

"So… private boat or take a plane." Voldemort mused. "I vote for boat. There are quite a few in private ownership, it won't be too difficult to liberate one for us."

"Boats are expensive." Gellert protested. "Even I know that."

"Well, I have a little project I need to do which ties in nicely with acquiring a seagoing vessel, so with a little observation, I am certain we can select the correct boat." Voldemort countered. "With reinforcement runes on the hull, cooling charms on the engine, the fuel tank charmed to be ever-full and the tents transferred into the cabins, even a small boat will become our personal cruise ship…"

Gellert stared at Voldemort in amazement. "You can do this?"

"I had the boys do some research for me on boats." Voldemort shrugged. "I must admit, though, it was Mark's idea to begin with. Apparently it was a storyline in a comic and he liked the thought."

"It is a good one." Gellert grinned.

"It will also give us a mobile base, especially if we can enchant it to fly." Voldemort mused. "I know from Peter… that is _my_ Peter, not _young_ Peter, that the Weasleys had a car that could fly and turn invisible, apparently by a combination of runes and charms. Since we know that it can be done…"

"…then between us, with our combined knowledge, we should be able to duplicate the effect." Gellert nodded in agreement. "However, I am curious, what is this project you mentioned?"

Voldemort paused, then cast a privacy spell around them.

"You know how I have returned from the dead multiple times. I use Horcruxes, better ones than the attempts of previous wizards, and I have used my experiences along with various books from the libraries of my former followers to rediscover and improve the technique that the Egyptian Priest-Mages once used. Would you like to learn how to make an anchor for your own soul as well? One that does not actually split your own soul in the making?"

Gellert's smile turned almost feral. "I'm listening."

.

The night air was chilly, but Gellert ignored it easily thanks to the warming runes sewn into his clothes. Below them a boat rocked at anchor and Voldemort cast a series of spells.

"Excellent." He finally stated. "Four down there and all are Muggles. No Muggleborns or Squibs."

"Unlike the previous three boats." Gellert glanced over. "Out of interest, why are you so concerned about that?"

"It's what Herpo the Foul fell victim to." Voldemort shrugged as he set his broomstick into a slow spiral downwards, checking in all directions to ensure that they would not be disturbed. "When one uses the Killing Curse, it causes a backlash based on the victim's magical status and the younger the victim, the stronger the backlash as their magic is still wild and untamed. Even using the Killing Curse on an adult wizard causes some damage to the soul as a result of the backlash, although that damage fades over time. But if you kill a magical _child_ , the damage is far more severe and can cause your soul to temporarily shed a portion of itself. Normally, it will return and re-bond, albeit in a way that still causes a considerable amount of spiritual scarring, but if you are prepared, you can place that fragment in a object to anchor you, albeit at the cost of some mental stability.  
"However, the Egyptian Mage-Priests had a different method. They used a spell to shred a Muggle's soul and fashion it into a spiritual anchor. As long as that anchor was intact, their souls would remain in control of their bodies regardless of physical state and they could use more spells to drain the vitality of others to restore themselves from undead to living once more, assuming that the body was still generally intact. However, this could be countered by a ritual that removed the brain, eyes and other internal organs such as the heart, making the body far harder to control due to the missing senses…"

"The myths of the Mummies!" Gellert exclaimed in recognition.

"Indeed." Voldemort nodded as he fished out a Hand of Glory from his robe and lit it with a wave of his wand. "It was only a small number of Priest-Mages who chose that path, but the stories still remain… mainly in the Muggle world, oddly enough. Hmmm, good. All of them are asleep and will not waken while the Hand stays lit. Now, let me give you the spell…"

The two wizards locked gazes, then Gellert nodded.

"Got it… and it's so _simple_!"

"Needs a lot of power, though." Voldemort noted as he touched down onto the deck of the boat. "None of my followers, present or past, could have performed the spell. Not without spending days in bed from magical exhaustion, that is. Are you ready?"

"I am." Gellert nodded as he carefully placed his broomstick underneath the ship's tiller wheel. "And what do we do about the parents?"

"We take their skills, of course." Riddle answered, sounding slightly surprised. "Do _you_ know how to pilot a boat?"

"Good point. Parents or children first?"

"Parents, I believe. Should we need to delay in order to recover, children are far easier to restrain." Voldemort mused, then he reached up and pulled open the collar of his jacket, allowing a small snake to poke its head out. "Do you have the item or being you wish to use?"

Gellert patted the dagger sheathed on his belt. "I do indeed. I once used this dagger as a focus for controlling Adolf Hitler. He wore it almost everywhere… until someone stole it and replaced it with a duplicate. I still believe that it was my old friend who did it since when I retrieved it and sent it to one of my safehouses, it was then that he confronted me. I still wonder if it was his idea, or that of his friend Moody."

"You fought Mad-Eye Moody?" Voldemort paused to look at the older man.

"I was the one who took his eye."

"Impressive."

* * *

.

Harry stepped out of the small Switching Room and glanced around at the room he found himself in. On one side, stairs climbed up the wall while before him, a door offered access to the Hogsmeade high street.

"I see that you've completed the remodeling." Harry noted and a holographic avatar of Jor-El appeared.

" _I have, sir. Although I have not changed how the outside looks, I have incorporated multiple shield arrays and retractable weapons mounts. Furthermore, I have relocated the sensor-remote relay into the attic for better protection against discovery."_

"Excellent." Harry smiled, then he looked at the row of handle-less doors, each with a small plaque. "If all the Switching Rooms are here, what's upstairs?"

" _Private living quarters, sir, should you choose to spend some time living in Hogsmeade rather than at the Pottery or Hogwarts. The flat at Diagon has also been remodeled and I have taken the liberty of adjusting how the rooms operate. Each one now has two doors and switches when all the doors are closed. In addition, the second door cannot be opened until the first one is closed, but the end result is that when you walk into the room and the door automatically closes behind you, you simply walk out of the other side at your destination."_

"That's… brilliant." Harry admitted with a smile. "No need to turn round _,_ you just walk straight through. I'm impressed."

" _Thank you, sir."_

Harry looked round again, then headed for the central door which was marked with the simple legend _Pottery_. As he approached, the door slid open, closing behind him as he went home.


	24. Christmas

"Harry!"

Harry found himself caught up in a rib-creaking hug, then he was released.

"Hello Hermione." He smiled, then he glanced round. "I see the cupboard's been moved."

"Dad said he was worried about me having boys over without his permission, so he moved it into his study." Hermione explained with a slight blush. "Come on, the others are already here!"

"Hang on a moment." Harry laughed. "Herriet?"

Herriet _pop_ ped into the study, curtsied to Hermione and vanished again, leaving a small pile of presents in her place. Harry knelt down and picked up the pile, carefully balancing them as he followed Hermione out of the study and into the living room where the others were.

"Let me help." Ron Granger said, taking several of the more precarious presents off Harry's pile and placing them on the pile at the foot of the christmas tree. Harry placed the rest of the presents with them, then looked round.

"Lord Longbottom, Lady Longbottom, Dowager Longbottom, Heir Longbottom…"

"That's a lot of bottoms." Jo stage-whispered to her daughter, who promptly turned purple with the effort of not trying to laugh."

"…Doctor Granger, Doctor Granger, Hermione." Harry continued after a short pause. "Merry Christmas. And thank you, Mr and Mrs Granger, for inviting me over."

"How many times, Harry, it's just Ron and Jo." Ron sighed dramatically, earning several smiles from the Longbottoms. "Anyway, take a seat."

Harry moved to the final chair in the room and sat down. A quick glance showed that several of the others were seated in chairs that had obviously been brought in from other rooms and while the older Grangers shared one sofa, the other was occupied by Neville and his parents. Augusta was relaxing in a well-padded recliner (enjoying the novelty of the retractable foot-rest) and Hermione was sat on a wooden chair by the pile of presents, giving the brightly-wrapped pile eager glances, seeming to vibrate with barely-restrained impatience.

"Before we begin, I'd just like to say thank you all for coming." Ron smiled at the others. "Harry, Neville, the two of you especially. Before she went to Hogwarts, Hermione never had any real friends and now… you two, Ginny, Luna… thank you."

Harry blinked several times as his vision tried to blur.

"Now that I've embarrassed Hermione…" Ron chuckled, "I think we can begin. Hermione?"

Hermione moved to kneel by the pile of presents and looked at the first one. "Dad, this one's for you from Uncle Wendell."

"Thank-you." Ron smiled as he accepted the gift-wrapped package. As he started to open it, Hermione picked up a second box.

"Neville, this one's from Harry…"

* * *

.

"Your attention please!" Sirius Black stood up, gathering everyone's attention. "I have an announcement to make! Those of you who have chosen to stay at Hogwarts over Christmas, due to preferring these hallowed halls to your homes or because you are undertaking advanced brewing projects under the ever-watchful gaze of Potions Master Severus Snape, you have not been forgotten. Elves, if you would?"

Brightly-colored packages appeared in front of all the students with the shapes different for each year. More packages appeared in front of each of the teachers and Severus raised an appreciative eyebrow at the sight of the silver-and-green wrapping paper used on his gift.

"For the first-to-third years, you are receiving wrist holsters for your wands. Merely sticking it into your pocket may seem easier, but you risk snapping your wand by accident that way. The holsters will help prevent any such accidents.  
"For the fourth and fifth years, gift vouchers for reference books from Flourish and Blotts or for wand accessories from Ollivanders. After all, you are coming up to your OWLs and every little helps, especially with your chosen courses.  
"Year six students, a gift of ten Galleons each, to spend as you will.  
"And finally, for the seventh-years, reference books as recommended by the teachers of the courses you are taking. Use them well and for those of you studying potions… study hard."

Severus blinked, then gave Sirius a confused look. "Aren't you going to say it?"

"Nah." Sirius shook his head, grinning widely. "I'll leave it to you."

Severus rolled his eyes as Sirius reclaimed his seat, then slowly unwrapped the package to reveal several tomes. His eyes widened and he stared at Sirius, who nodded.

"A complete set of the collected _Potente Potions and Potion Lore of Past Potioneers_ by Miaplacidus Black." He said, his normal joking manner in abeyance. "I asked Jorel to make those copies and update them with Great-Uncle's private notes. That set is one of only four."

Severus reached out with a trembling hand and reverently touched the cover of the topmost book, its cover made from something resembling leather with the titles embossed in gold while the corners were reinforced by metal decorations.

"I… during my apprenticeship, my Master owned a copy of one of the chapters said to be from one of the tomes… it was his most prized possession… to have a full set…"

"I have one in my library, Harry is getting one set for his and the last set will be in the Headmistress' Library. That set is yours. Not Hogwarts', not the Potions Teacher's, _yours_."

Severus slowly re-wrapped the books, then clutched them to his chest as he jerkily rose from his seat.

"I… excuse me…"

"I think he liked it." Minerva commented wryly as she finished opening her present. "Oh, Merlin! Is this…?"

"One of the last hundred bottles made in the Wolfburn Distillery." Sirius nodded.

"My grandfather worked there before it closed…" Minerva breathed, holding the bottle in her hands as if it were Helga Hufflepuff's Chalice. "Oh Merlin…"

"By the way, where's Hagrid?" Sirius asked curiously, looking round as if he had somehow simply overlooked the large Groundskeeper.

"Hmmm?" Minerva looked up from her examination of the bottle that she was holding. "Oh, Hagrid. He's gone to the Dragon Sanctuary to give Norberta a gift. Apparently he's also covering for someone."

"I'll have to leave his gift in his hut for him." Sirius noted.

* * *

.

"…and last, one for Neville, from Harry." Hermione passed the present to Alice who relayed it to her son. Neville smiled as he opened the package, then his eyes widened as he held up a jacket of a design that Hermione only recognised because she had received a similar one a few moment prior.

"My own _Torquasm Rao_ sparring suit!" Neville exclaimed in glee as he shifted his grip on the jacket so that he could pull the matching trousers out of the box.

"It does look a lot like a martial arts _gi_." Ron noted and Harry shrugged.

"Form follows function."

"It does indeed." Ron agreed, looking at the dark-colored outfit with the bronze highlights at the shoulders, wrists and ankles while on the chest was a small patch on which the Longbottom coat of arms was printed. "Baggy enough to allow a full range of motion, but not too baggy as that would risk catching on things. Nice."

"It's made of a fabric that stiffens to absorb impact." Harry interjected. "Of course, it only works above a certain level, otherwise you wouldn't have any reason to learn how to dodge or block."

"Makes sense." Frank nodded. "Could have used that during my Auror training days."

"Me too." Alice agreed, rubbing at her left shoulder. "Mad-eye was a harsh task-master."

Frank nodded in unwilling agreement, rubbing at his right leg. "That he was."

Harry gave both adults a questioning look, then mentally shrugged as neither elaborated further.

"Well!" Jo broke the contemplative silence, "It's time for some food. Harry, thanks again for loaning Gilligan to me, he's amazing."

"I know." Harry smiled. "He and Herriet have been Potter elves almost their whole lives, my grandparents purchased their services just after they got married. Herriet's the senior elf and Gilligan answers to her. More than that, I don't know since I try not to pry."

"Sometimes it's best to know when not to ask." Ron stated sagely and Frank nodded in agreement. "Now, as my beloved wife said, it's time to eat! Come on!"

* * *

.

Arthur smiled at his seven children. With Bill working for Gringotts and Charlie normally at the Dragon Sanctuary in Romania (although he had been released for a day thanks to Hagrid volunteering to take his place), it was rare for the entire family to be gathered together. As Molly continued bustling in the kitchen, making sure that the food was cooking, Arthur clapped his hands to get his children's attention.

"Okay, everyone. Are you ready? Excellent. Molly?"

"I'm here." Molly smiled as she stood in the doorway and Arthur nodded as he reached for the first present in the surprisingly large pile.

"Alright… this one is from Lord Black to… Gred and Forge?"

The twins snickered as they accepted the small present and ripped the packaging off, revealing it to be a notebook. The duo stared at it, wide-eyed and Ginny leaned across to take a look.

"The Marauders Manual Rewritten – How to be true pranksters without becoming bullies." She read. "By Sirius Black aka _Padfoot_ and Remus Lupin aka _Moony_."

"Oh…" "….wow."

* * *

.

"Norberta!"

The dragon in question gave out a whuffling noise and lunged out of her cave as Hagrid laughed with delight. Reaching up, Hagrid scratched along her jawline and Norberta sprawled along the ground almost bonelessly, her neck being the only thing not horizontal as she held her head up to accept Hagrid's ministrations.

"Yer a beautiful girl, Norberta." Hagrid smiled, using his other hand to pick out small flakes of stone that had got caught in Norberta's scales. "Yer lookin' nice an' healthy!"

The distant dragon-keepers watched in bemused amusement as the dragon happily submitted to the half-giant, despite being many times his size. Only one of the watchers saw the grumpy brown bear quietly but quickly sneak away from Norberta's cave.

* * *

.

"Welcome to your new home." Voldemort smiled at the five children who were staring at the boat moored to the (temporary) pier. "The expanded tents have been moved across, so your rooms are just the same, but now…"

"Will we be pirates?" Peter asked excitedly as he bounced up and down with glee. "I wanna be a pirate! Pirates are cool!"

"You can if you want to be." Gellert reassured the six-year-old boy.

"Cool!"

"Ninja are cooler." Mark argued.

"Pirates!"

"Ninja!"

"Pirates!"

"Ninja!"

Voldemort face-palmed as the two youngsters argued and Gellert chuckled.

"Why not go aboard and look round?" He suggested and the duo stopped glaring at each other, then sprinted for the gangplank as they tried to be the first one aboard. Gellert followed with a laugh and the trio of remaining _Obscurials_ followed him.

"Master…" Pettigrew half-whispered. "When did we get a boat? And how do we drive it?"

"Gellert and I took it from a Muggle family." Voldemort shrugged. "After we'd finished, they didn't need it any more. We also vanished their stuff, so the _Obscurials_ won't realize what we did. As for how to pilot it… prepare yourself. _Legilimens_."

Pettigrew stared into his Master's eyes, then blinked several times, rubbing his forehead as Voldemort repeated the process with Barty Crouch.

"Runes have been applied to strengthen the hull, reduce the action of water against it and keep the fuel tank full." Voldemort stated as he led his followers up the gangplank. "Oh, Barty, there's a snake in a heated aquarium in my room, a Boa Constrictor which I am still in the process of enhancing to serve as my familiar since Potter stole my Basilisk. Since, when we get back to England, Peter will be conducting reconnaissance for us, I will leave her well-being in your hands."

"Yes, my Lord. As you command."

Voldemort waved his wand and the gangplank rose into the air and settled on a pair of hooks designed to hold it. "Excellent. Let us weigh anchor and prepare to depart."

"Next stop, jolly old England." Barty joked, earning a _look_ from the other two men.

"Barty… when did you develop a sense of humor?"

"My lord… what about the camper?" Peter motioned to the vehicle parked nearby.

"Delayed flame charm to deny anyone any evidence." Voldemort gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "Now come on, let us depart. The sooner we get away, the more comfortable I will feel. MACUSA has proven rather more capable than I anticipated, and it worries me…"


	25. Back To School

"Hermione!"

Harry blinked as a blur erupted from the crowded platform and glomped Hermione.

"Luna?" Hermione looked down at the younger witch in surprise.

"Thank you!" Luna finally unlatched herself and smiled at the perplexed witch. "Thank you!"

"Hermione?" Harry asked and Hermione blinked.

"I… Luna?"

"Thankyou, I didn't have to use those icky pads…" Luna began, causing Hermione to pale and clap her hand over the younger girl's mouth.

"Luna… you're welcome, but this is a thing that boys _don't_ like to learn about." Hermione whispered urgently into Luna's ear.

Luna nodded and after giving her a long look, Hermione released the younger witch.

"Hermione!"

A second young witch glomped Hermione and both Harry and Neville fought down their laughter.

"Hello Ginny."

"Hermione, can you check my homework? Professor Tonks set it and I don't want to disappoint her."

"Of course." Hermione smiled. "Come on, the train will be departing soon."

Ginny turned to wave at her parents before following Hermione onto the train and into one of the compartments, not noticing the person watching her through the crowded platform.

"Crabbe, Goyle, let's go. Theo?"

"I'm coming." Theodore Nott replied as Draco stepped up into the next carriage along from where those he had been watching had embarked. Making their way down the corridor, they soon found an empty compartment and claimed it. Once the door was closed, Draco looked round.

"Crabbe, Goyle, sorry about this. _Stupefy. Stupefy_."

Both boys slumped against the wall and Theodore raised his eyebrows in curiosity as Draco returned his wand to his sleeve holster.

"Why did you knock those two out?"

"What they don't know, they can't tell." Draco stated. "Theodore, our Lord is on his way back… with _five_ _Obscurials_ , all of whom can control their powers!"

Theodore blinked. "Obscurial? Like in that book by Scamander?"

Draco nodded. "Yes. Soon, our Lord and his ally Grindlewald will be back. They will need access to the castle, so you'll have to recover the cabinet and move it to a new location. The Dark Lord has told me how to access a secret room just up from our common room. Where's the cabinet now?"

"Where I put it." Theodore replied with a smirk. "In the corridor leading to the Quidditch pitch, just by the old Broom lockers."

Draco stared at Theodore in shock. "You didn't even _hide_ it?"

"I did… in plain sight." Theodore countered. "It's dark-colored and in the shadow of the lockers. Wasn't the other end in that no-magic thing that Potter did, though?"

"The doors had been taken off, so it wasn't active and thus wasn't affected." Draco shook his head. "The Dark Lord sent his Inquisitor to retrieve the other cabinet before he went on his journey. He had it shrunk down and hid it away."

"Why not take it with him?" Theodore asked curiously.

"It might have failed once the other end was overseas." Draco explained, recalling the conversations he and Voldemort had held. "He decided that not taking that risk was the wiser course."

Theodore nodded slowly. "Understandable. Should I begin sounding out the others to see who's on our side?"

"Please do." Draco replied. "I'd try, but I believe that I'm still being watched… by both my aunt and Lord Black, at the very least. And if Lord Black is watching me, so is the former werewolf."

"Huh." Theodore managed. "Okay."

Draco rose from his seat and cast a couple of _renervates_.

"Come. It is time for me to check that my other alliances are still holding."

The dazed duo scrambled to their feet and followed Draco out of the doorway.

* * *

.

"…no, no no!" Hermione managed not to facepalm as she looked at the card in her hand again. "A fruit that sounds like two at once!"

"Pear!" Luna half-shouted just as the sand finished running through the small hourglass.

"I think we'll let you have that one." Harry chuckled. "Okay, so that's… four spaces… and you get to spin."

Hermione reached out for the spinner set in the middle of the board and watched as it came to a stop. "Drat. Nothing."

"Okay, our turn." Harry took the box of cards and pulled a dozen out. "Ready on the timer? Places. Go! Capital of Scotland!"

"Edinburgh!"

"Yes! Royal family live here!"

"Windsor palace!"

"They're _good_ at this." Ginny whispered as Neville continued answering correctly and both Hermione and Luna nodded in agreement.

"…also a pony!"

"Shetlands!"

"…and _time_!" Ginny shouted as the last grain landed in the lower portion of the half-minute hourglass

"That's… seven." Harry quickly counted the cards. "And I believe that we win."

Hermione glared at the small cone that Neville had moved across the finish line. "Yes. Yes, you do. Good game."

"Thanks." Neville grinned as he pulled the box out of his trunk while Harry tidied up the cards, slotting them back into their container. As he put it away, a knock sounded on the doorframe.

"It's Draco and his two shadows." Ginny reported as she moved to the door and slid it open. "Good afternoon, Lord-Apparent Malfoy."

"And the same to you, Miss Weasley." Draco replied politely, then he looked round the compartment. "Lord Potter, Heir Longbottom, Miss Granger, Miss Lovegood. Good afternoon. Lord Potter, my mother bid me to thank you once again for the invitations to the Potter Ball. She enjoyed herself very much."

"I'm glad to hear it." Harry smiled as he casually lifted Neville's trunk one-handed, slotting it into the luggage rack before moving to offer Draco his hand. Draco accepted it and shook it firmly before repeating the action with Neville. "Anything I can help you with?"

"Apart from possibly allowing me to _finally_ score against you in Quidditch?" Draco half-joked, ignoring the confused expressions that Crabbe and Goyle were wearing. "Nothing springs to mind at this point. However, I admit to curiosity. I did not see Lord Black at the ball."

"He stayed at Hogwarts to help those remaining there over the holiday celebrate properly." Harry shrugged. "He mentioned that he'd be handing out gifts…don't be surprised if Professor Snape seems to be in a better mood than usual."

Draco's eyebrow lifted, but he declined the conversational path offered.

"Mother also told me to relay to you that she would be approaching your Financial Manager next week about investing in… a nose?"

"The Tegg's Nose caverns." Harry explained. "I managed to purchase the rights to it and will be re-opening it as a shopping area. Evans Enterprises will be running it and linking to both Hogsmeade and Diagon, making it possible to simply walk from one area to another, thus encouraging people to buy more. I've also had deserted shops in Diagon and Hogsmead purchased to provide somewhere to put the links needed and the Tegg's Nose site will have a special area for the rich families to connect to using special Evans Enterprises connection-hallways."

"Gran was talking with dad about putting a connection chamber just off the Floo room." Neville noted. "That's why?"

"It is." Harry confirmed.

"May I have some details?" Draco prompted. "I believe that my mother will want to take advantage of the opportunities offered… if only to spend more money buying things."

"I'll have the documents in question sent to her from Gringotts for her to peruse." Harry shrugged.

"Thank you." Draco nodded in a manner almost bordering on a bow. "That concludes the business I was tasked with, so I will take my leave, with your permission."

Harry gave a near-bow in reply and Draco stepped out of the compartment, closing the door behind him.

"That was… different." Hermione finally noted.

.

"Come." Draco commanded as soon as the door was closed and the duo lurched into motion as Draco walked up the corridor.

"What was that all about?" Goyle wondered and Draco smirked.

"Collecting information, Goyle. I intend to become the power behind the Minister like my father was and reclaim the position the Malfoys once had of being the wealthiest family in Wizarding Britain, but to do that, I need two things. Information and power. I have allies who will soon return to provide me access to the power, so for now I am concentrating on collecting the information that will help me claim my rightful position at the apex of our society."

"I don' unnerstan." Crabbe rumbled and Draco gave a slight shrug.

"No, you do not, but I do, and that is what matters. Now, come. I have several others to meet up with, if I am to ensure my eventual supremacy."

The hulking duo exchanged confused glances, then followed Draco into the next carriage.

* * *

.

"Carriages are over there!"

Hagrid's bellow echoed across the platform as Harry and his friends descended from the carriage and made their way towards the Thestral-drawn carriages. As they settled inside, Hermione found herself sandwiched between Ginny and Luna, much to Harry's amusement.

"And why are you smirking, Harry?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"Your hairstyles." Harry grinned. "I just noticed."

Hermione blinked, one hand going back to check her ponytail was still secure, then she glanced at her companions and face-palmed.

"Okay." She sighed. "I put my hair in a ponytail to try and control it as well as making it less of a target doing _Torquasm Rao_. Why did you two do the same?"

Ginny tried to look innocent. "Because it's a good hairstyle?"

"Our role model does her hair this way." Luna interjected with a wide grin. "We want to grow up to be just like her!"

Hermione sighed as Harry started chuckling. "Not funny, Harry."

Neville coughed several times and Hermione gave another sigh. "Dammit. Why am I friends with you again?"

"Troll?"

"Damn troll."

* * *

.

The sound of a fork on a glass echoed through the hall and everyone turned away from the wreckage of their meals to look at the Teacher's Table, where Headmistress McGonogall was standing.

"Now that you have finished eating, it is time for the announcements." She said firmly. "First of all, I must remind you all that the prohibition against spells being cast outside class or supervised practice sessions is still in force, but in response to the requests received, Fifth-year Prefects now also count as valid supervisors for anyone up to and including third-years, but no more than a dozen at a time.  
"Secondly, I am reliably informed that Marcus Flint has received an job offer from the Appleby Arrows, contingent on his passing his Apprenticeship test at the end of the year. My congratulations in advance, Mr Flint."

Most of the Slytherin table erupted in applause, as did quite a few on the other tables while Flint held his head up proudly. After a moment or two, MacGonogall held up her hand for silence.

"Moving on, the third of tonight's announcements." She continued."Evans Enterprises will soon be publicly releasing mobile communication devices. The use of these is prohibited within classrooms or at mealtimes. Madam Pince has stated that no calls may be made or taken on them within the library and should anyone be spending enough time on them that it adversely affects their sleep or education, the device will be temporarily confiscated.  
"There will be no complaints about this." She stated firmly, glaring at the assembled students. "While being able to contact your parents at any time may be a boon to almost all of you, abusing that privilege will not be tolerated!"

The silence that answered her was almost resounding and she gave a nod of satisfaction.

"Now, it is time for you to return to your common rooms and for most of you, unpack after your holidays. Therefore, I shall finish with these words.  
"Welcome back."

Sirius started to clap and Remus joined in almost immediately. Before Minerva could react, all the teachers were clapping her speech, as were almost all of the students. Her glare failed to quieten those applauding her, although when she glowered at Sirius, he simply gave her an innocent grin that caused her to roll her eyes in resignation.


	26. Lessons Resume

"Welcome back." Professor Tonks said as she looked at her class. "I hope that you all enjoyed your Christmases and New Year, but I'm afraid that you're now back to learning."

Andromeda waited for the small amount of grumbling and sighs to recede before continuing.

"Today, we will be topping up the potions that are used in the infirmary with the Skele-grow potion, which Madam Pomphrey has reported is getting rather low due to a certain… _incident_ over the holidays. Any excess will be sent to St Mungo's… assuming that it is up to the required standard. Although not a difficult potion to make, one must pay attention to it, especially when adding the crushed, dried scarabs.  
"Now, pull up and tie your sleeves, check your hair is tied back and partner up with someone from the other house. The base for the Skele-grow potion is milk, the ingredients are on the tables, but they will still need preparing."

Harry moved to one of the desks and was soon joined by a red-haired girl he recognized.

"Miss Bones." He nodded in greeting.

"Lord Potter." She curtsied with an impish smile and he sighed.

"Call me Harry."

"You can call me _anytime_." Susan Bones giggled, causing Harry to roll his eyes. "Sorry, couldn't resist."

Harry shook his head. "Never mind. Okay, the instructions are on the board… you start the potion off and I'll dice the… chinese _chomping_ cabbage?"

Harry looked down at the worktop where a bowl was holding a small, green ball of leaves that kept opening and closing in a manner reminiscent of a mouth. "Huh."

Susan paused in her milk-pouring and followed his gaze.

"…huh."

* * *

.

"…Excellent work, Mr Longbottom." Andromeda said as she waved her wand above the cauldron in question. "This is a potion that I would not hesitate to use myself, if I needed to."

Neville almost glowed from the praise as Andromeda moved onto the next cauldron. Susan watched nervously as the professor echanged a couple of words with the students on the next bench, then Professor Tonks moved across and waved her wand above their cauldron.

"Miss Bones, Mr Potter, a very good potion, one that is technically excellent." She nodded. "While it could have done with another two stirs to maximize the potency, that sort of thing will come with practice. A very good result, you may decant it now."

Susan sagged in relief as Professor Tonks moved on to the next pair and Harry glanced over just in time to see Hermione give Neville a thumbs-up. Harry reached under the desk and pulled out the tray of vials stored underneath.

"You write the labels, I'll fill the bottles." He offered and Susan nodded, reaching for her bag to pull out a quill and ink. Harry turned his attention to the task of pouring the Skelegrow into the vials, making sure that none escaped from the funnel as he ensured each vial was filled to the marked line. The sound of Susan's quill as it glided across the pre-spelled parchment labels barely impinged on his concentration as hetipped the last of the potion into the fifth and final vial. Putting down the cauldron, he carefully stoppered each vial, then picked up the empty cauldron, putting the used implements into it.

"I'll wash these, you get the vials to the desk." He offered and Susan grinned.

"At last, a male who knows how to wash up after himself!"

"Very droll." Harry chuckled despite himself.

"Always." Susan replied, the smirk evident in her voice.

* * *

.

Draco Malfoy kept quiet as he filed into Charms. At dinner, he had sat so that he could keep a wary eye on Potter and his lackeys, but even with the eavesdropping charm that he had found in his father's private study over the Christmas holidays, he hadn't managed to catch Potter plotting like he had done before.

He still felt a mild irritation at how Potter had squirmed out of the well-deserved punishment that the Wizengamot had been about to deliver to him. He'd been looking forwards to seeing what Umbridge's cryptic message about beggaring the mudblood-spawn had actually been about and until Potter had pulled the fact of his Order of Merlin out, everything had been going brilliantly.

Damn him!

And damn those idiots who had insisted on giving him an undeserved award for simply not dying! By that reasoning, he and everyone else at Hogwarts should have Second Class Orders as well.

"Welcome back!" Flitwick chirped from his podium at the front of the classroom and Draco pulled himself out of his revenge fantasies.

After all, he didn't want to risk angering the wielder of the axe that had slain the fathers of his two minions.

.

Filius smiled as he looked down from his raised podium at his attentive students.

"Welcome back!" He smiled at his students. "Since we all hopefully enjoyed ourselves over the yuletide, I believe that it is time for us to learn an interesting little charm known as the _Cheering Charm_.  
"Now, if used correctly, this lovely little spell imbues the target with a feeling of happy contentment. If overpowered, it can cause hysterical laughter. I have seen it used that way in dueling matches, if one cannot stop laughing, one cannot cast many spells or defend against them.  
"In order to be able to cast the _Cheering Charm_ , one must not be unhappy as the caster's mental state does affect the charm to a degree. Trying to cast it while depressed simply causes the spell to fail and of course, one must always be aware of the mental state of the intended recipient is in. Should they be angered, a _Cheering Charm_ could cause them to become reckless, attacking with no thought of their own personal safety.  
"Now, in order to cast the spell, you must move the wand like _this_ …"

.

"…and ten points to everyone who managed to perform the charm." Flitwick smiled at the students, quite a few of whom were looking almost blissed out or were chuckling. "And now…"

Filius' wand moved in a complex manner which caused everyone to sober up.

"The Sobriety Charm." He said in response to the questioning looks. "Although it was designed to temporarily counter the effects of imbibing excess alcohol, a small tweak made it able to counter Cheering Charms. However, it's quite complex, so until you pass your OWLs, it'll be a bit beyond you.  
"Now, since Professor Black gave you some homework, I won't set any for tonight. Therefore, off you go and have a pleasant evening! Class dismissed!"

Harry used the recall function of his holster to stow his wand, watching as Neville, Hermione and (surprisingly) Malfoy did the same. Picking up his bag, he waited for his friends to join him before leaving the classroom, turning left as they headed back to Ravenclaw tower.

"That was fun." Neville commented as they reached the staircase.

"Did you see that Malfoy has an arm-holster too?" Hermione pointed out. "He used to have a belt-holster. I wonder why he changed it?"

"I think it finally got through to him what a disadvantage normal holsters are." Neville mused. "Of course, some of the Gryffindors still shove their wands into their pockets."

"That could make it difficult to pull out in an emergency." Harry stated. "Of course, that's not a problem for _some_ of us."

"You and that weird magic of yours." Neville shook his head as Harry ducked Hermione's attempted dope-slap. "My father heard about it and I caught him trying to do it himself."

"Did he have any luck?" Harry enquired and Neville shook his head.

"Nope. Not even a spark. Hasn't stopped him trying, though."

"Why would he do that?" Hermione asked curiously. "I mean, sure, Harry's _other_ magic is impressive, but it's a recognized Family Magic, right?"

"Which means that stealing it or trying to force him to teach it is illegal." Neville agreed. "Doesn't mean other people can't try to _reproduce_ it. As long as they can state under Veritaserum that they didn't have either direct or indirect access to the original spell records, it's not illegal. Several of the spells we use today are a result of that and most of them are actually easier or more powerful than the original spell."

"It takes training in _Torquasm Vo_ before you even have a chance of doing the version I do." Harry shrugged then he caught Hermione's look. "Sorry, it's another Family Magic. If it helps, it's sort of similar to Occlumancy."

Hermione sighed, but nodded in reluctant acknowledgement.

* * *

.

"Come in, Severus."

"Minerva." Severus nodded as he entered the staff meeting room. "My apologies for my lateness, I had to deal with a minor matter in my House. Nothing major and it has been dealt with."

"Understood, Severus. Now that you are here, we can begin." Minerva said as Severus sat down. "Now, every year has had at least one lesson today and the Heads of House are all here, so is there anything that anyone thinks is important?"

"Nothing beyond the normal happening in Gryffindor," Septima Vector said with a frown, "And that worries me. I had expected the twins to do at least one of their pranks by now."

"They're probably re-evaluating their jokes." Remus supplied. "The book that Sirius and I made for them places heavy emphasis on not slipping over into being bullies… something that we weren't all that good at avoiding back when we were students here."

"True… unfortunately" Sirius added while Severus nodded in agreement.

"I'm not sure if I should be reassured or worried." Septima winced. "I'll make sure to keep a close eye on them, though."

"Nothing out of the ordinary happening in Ravenclaw." Filius supplied.

"Hufflepuff are settling down." Pomona Sprout added.

"My Slytherins are acting as they usually do." Severus stated. "I have made it clear to them that their actions should not impact the other houses."

"Excellent work, Severus." Minerva said with a small smile. "Now, does anyone have anything to report about the lessons?"

* * *

.

"There it is, the coast of Ireland." Voldemort waved at the line on the horizon. We angle north and go round the top, then we head for Mallaig and enter Loch Nevis. With the runes we have to reduce the draught of the boat, we'll be able to get all the way up to the end of the Loch near Camusrory, allowing us to go north overland to reach Hogwarts which is located on a concealed spit of land on the _Loch an Dubh Lochain_. Non-magicals simpy can't see the castle or the land it's on unless they get close and even then, they only see a set of ruins which the protective spells prevent them from considering worthy of exploration or mentioning to others."

"Impressive." Gellert noted. "I'd heard of Hogwarts, but I'd never actually visited it."

"Soon you will." Voldemort smiled. "Soon, we all will. Hogwarts is the most important place in Wizarding Britain. Once we claim it as our own and activate the new wards, we will be most of the way to toppling the Ministry of Magic and bringing the country under our rule."

"The _new_ wards, my Lord?" Pettigrew asked and Gellert smiled paternally.

"Yes indeed. You see, using Tom's memories of the one time that he saw the Great Wardstone under Hogwarts, we have been able to craft a replacement. While the Wards will still need tweaking to ensure there are no gaps, the fact that there are new wards within moments of the old ones collapsing will be a nasty shock to anyone trying to respond."

"Wow." Pettigrew breathed in awe even as he turned the wheel slightly to change course. "My Lord, that's incredible!"

"We couldn't have done it without Gellert's Pensieve and expertise with setting up Wards." Voldemort said magnanimously. "Soon, we shall be the rulers of Wizarding Britain and from there, we shall seize all of Europe."

"And from there, we shall extend our reach until the world is ours." Gellert finished with great satisfaction. "The Magicals will rule over the Muggles and it shall be we who rule the Magicals."

"It will take a while, though." Voldemort mused. "I must first contact my few remaining followers and prepare them for our glorious victory."

.

" _..our glorious victory."_

Amanda crept away from the hatchway as silently as possible. As the oldest of The Five (as they referred to themselves), she had taken it on herself to act as their leader and mother-figure, despite only being the oldest by under a year.

Diana's suspicions about what the adults had _really_ been planning had gained acceptance with the others, but now they had actual proof that not all was as it had originally seemed.

Making her way down to the Head, she entered it and closed the door behind her before switching on the light to reveal the other four waiting for her, Diana perched on the toilet and the three boys sat on the floor, Peter in the shower.

"Diana was right." She said quietly. "The adults _are_ plotting more than just taking down a corrupt government."

"Damn." Diana half-whispered. "I don't like being right about this."

For a long moment, the only sound was the throbbing of the boat's engines, then Peter spoke up.

"They saved us from those killer-wizards, though. We owe them… right?"

The silence returned as the five struggled with the newly-revealed complexities of the situation as revealed to them.


	27. Expansions

"Harry?"

Harry grinned as he glanced at Hermione, who was staring at the newest addition to the Hogsmeade high street. Where one of the shops had been was now a plaza with a circular building consisting of what seemed at first glance to be a rotating door with two entrances. However, Hermione had seen several witches enter through one entrance and _not_ emerge out of the other.

"The Connection Door, effectively Movable Switching Rooms." Harry explained as he led Hermione and Neville towards the new addition. "You step in and as it goes round, it switches at the half-way point meaning that you exit at either Diagon or the Cavern depending on which entrance you went in."

"And the shop that _was_ here?" Neville prompted.

"Now has _triple_ the floor-space, full freehold and a position just by the Connection Door in the cavern." Harry grinned as he led them into the next available chamber, passing underneath the sign saying ' _Tegg's Nose Cavern_ ' set above the door. Hermione stumbled a bit as she stepped onto the moving floor and Neville watched with interest as a series of slats rotated and slid into position to enclose the room, then folded away to reveal a huge rocky vista before them.

"…wow." Neville breathed as Harry towed them out onto the rocky platform that was where the Connection Door was located. "This is _incredible_!"

Harry looked around, seeing the cavern as if with new eyes. Although only a few of the stores located in secondary caves accessible by apparently free-floating metal walkways were occupied, enough had opened to make it clear that the Cavern was going to be a true center for business when fully active.

The walkways also led to large metal disks between ten and thirty meters in radius affixed to stalagmites rising from the depths and on almost half of those discs were restaurants or other food-outlets with the others showing the fittings awaiting chefs to use them.

Illumination was provided by the charmed ceiling which, as in Hogwarts, showed the sky above while regular lines along the edges of the walkways glowed with a gentle radiance which Harry knew doubled as safety-spells that would reverse the momentum of anyone about to fall off, returning them to the safety of the walkway.

"Harry…" Hermione said with a slight frown, "Did you mean to make this look like something out of Star Wars?"

Harry smiled innocently at her, earning an eye-roll in return.

"Honestly, Harry."

"It _does_ look a bit like something from Star Wars…" Neville agreed. "Heh. Most Pureblood's wouldn't have a clue, though. What's that platform over there for?"

"Broomstick landing pad." Harry said, walking over to it as he pulled out and un-shrunk his broom. "The safety spells on the platforms are set to activate if you _aren't_ on a broom as you try to launch yourself. It's why I told you to bring your brooms. Care to take a flight?"

Hermione looked round, spotting the landing platforms placed to provide easy access to the various shops and restaurants, then she looked down over the edge of the platform.

"Harry, is that a… a _Quidditch Stadium_ there?"

"Yep, built to full Professional Quidditch regulations and with ten times the audience seating of the next-largest stadium. I even had camping areas and three hotels put in, just in case the Cavern ended up hosting an International match. It was Padfoot's idea and he stumped up over half the money. Only one of the hotels is currently open, though, the smallest one. There isn't yet enough demand to have the other two open yet."

"Yet?" Hermione repeated and Harry's grin got wider.

"That hotel is the Lily's Rest… and it's got its own series of Connecting Doors linking it to its sister-hotels in the Muggle world. Anyone with magical relatives is allowed through, meaning that this place will soon be filled with customers, Muggle, Squib and Wizard."

"The Traditional Purebloods will _hate_ that." Neville said, his voice filled with awe. "Nice one, Harry!"

"I thought so." Harry grinned, rising into the air on his broomstick. "So, who's up for an aerial tour?"

"So this is why you suggested we borrow broomsticks from Madam Hooch." Hermione nodded in belated understanding.

.

"Draco, it is good to see you." Voldemort smiled as Draco Malfoy stepped out of the Vanishing Cabinet. "I trust that the other end is secure?"

"It is in the room that you told me about." Draco confirmed as he brushed a speck of dirt from his shoulder, then he bowed deeply. "Welcome back, my Lord. I trust your trip was profitable?"

"Wow, he looks different to his model." A young voice stated and Draco half-turned to see a group of young children staring at him from the doorway.

"Draco Malfoy, meet the Five, as they like to call themselves." Voldemort waved at the children, who responded by entering the room. "Amanda, Peter Pan, James Kirk, Diana Prince, Mark Grayson, this is Draco Malfoy, currently a student at Hogwarts in the noble house of Slytherin which was founded by and named after my distant ancestor, Salazar Slytherin."

"It is an honor to meet you all." Draco gave them a slight bow and several of the children grinned back at him. "My Lord, I apologize for failing to ensure that Walden Macnair could take his planned position at Hogwarts to help open the way. The plan would have worked but for the actions of Potter."

"He does have an unusual ability to show up at inconvenient moments and act in unpredictable ways." Voldemort nodded. "Why, when I tried to retrieve the Philosopher's Stone, it was Potter who destroyed it, after smashing through a wall bare-handed."

Draco stared at Voldemort in shock. "Through the…? No wonder that Hippogryph didn't hurt him if he's _that_ strong!"

"And with his ability to negate the use of magical spells and disenchant magical objects, he is a true threat to our world." Voldemort agreed. "It is my hope that he has not yet passed his sorcery on to others, it can do too much damage. One use of that _Zu Da Ur_ technique of his in the wrong place could rip away the protective veil of secrecy that protects us from those who would seek to destroy us in the name of their god."

Draco noted that Diana stiffened at the comment, a frown briefly eclipsing her expression of curiosity.

There was a story there. He knew it.

But how to find out without risking angering Voldemort or his newfound weapons?

.

"That's Flourish and Blotts!" Hermione gasped as they arced round and Harry nodded.

"Yep, I have a one-fifth share in them thanks to my grandfather Fleamont, so it was easy to persuade them to open a branch here and link it to Diagon via a connection room."

"Wow." Hermione whispered, then she looked at the far wall which had only walkway lights illuminating it. "What's over there?"

"Flats of various sizes." Harry replied. "Anything from single-bedroom to multistory flats large enough to take the entire Weasley family, although there's only a dozen or so of the larger sizes and the biggest has already been purchased by Sirius. They're Muggle-style as well, so hopefully it'll help more Muggleborn make their own way in the Wizarding World rather than having to rely on marrying into wizarding families or taking low-paid jobs working for the Purebloods."

"You're trying to turn the Wizarding World into a Meritocracy!" Hermione gasped and Harry shrugged.

"I'm trying to introduce the concept that skill trumps breeding, yes. At the moment, only St Mungo's seems to get it and I think that it's because if people are given the choice of having a _competent_ Healer and living or having a _Pureblooded-but-incompetent_ Healer and _dying_ … well, going for the latter is the sort of outlook that only lasts for a single generation."

"…I never thought of it that way before." Neville mused as they descended towards a platform that served one of the open restaraunts. "Makes sense, though."

.

Amelia Bones looked out over the Tegg's Nose Cavern. She had often visited it to do shopping before it closed and the re-opened Cavern was over five times the size that the pre-refurbished cavern had been. Taking advantage of the possibility presented, she had contacted Evans Enterprises even as the Cavern was still being modified and now the DMLE was no longer located merely on a single floor of the Ministry Building (although a trio of Connection Rooms ensured that she could get to the Minister's Office in moments if summoned) but it had a brand new multi-floor headquarters with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the cavern, windows of the same sort as at the Pottery, meaning that any spellfire was absorbed harmlessly.

The only vulnerable point was the entrance and Broomstick-pad, but they had retractable glass-shields to provide cover in case anything happened.

"That's Harry!" Susan pointed down and Amelia followed her niece's finger to see a tiny dark-haired figure and two others land at one of the restaurants that she fully intended to try for herself. "He's great at potions, you know. Last Wednesday, he and I worked together to make Skele-gro."

"That's nice." Amelia smiled, turning away from her window and back towards her desk. "So, aside from having _the-boy-who-lived_ stir your cauldron, what else have you been getting up to in the last few days?"

"Auntie!" Susan blushed furiously and Amelia laughed.

"Susan, you're too easy to tease. How do you expect to become an Auror if you can't hold your own?"

Susan pouted and Amelia grinned.

"Let me finish this piece of work and then we'll go get some lunch from one of those restaurants out there."

* * *

.

"Welcome back!" Ginny called as the trio entered the Ravenclaw common room. "Did you get it?"

"Parchment note-books and the newest issue of Witch Weekly." Hermione pulled the items in question from out of her robe, then glanced round. "Um, wasn't the common room smaller?"

"For several hours, everyone was pulled out of their common rooms." Luna said as she filled in another couple of lines of the crossword that she was trying to solve. "I saw people I'd never seen before come in, they were wearing odd robes. Ones that looked a lot like that outfit you wore when you defeated Lockhart last year."

Harry blinked, then tapped his watch.

"Jor-El?"

" _Yes, Lord Potter?"_

"The Ravenclaw common room is bigger."

" _Yes, Lord Potter."_

"Can I have an explanation, please?"

" _Evans Enterprises accepted a request from Headmistress McGonagall to apply runic arrays to specific rooms in order to enlarge them. Employees from Evans Enterprises were therefore dispatched with runic array plans in order to apply the runic arrays as requested."_

"Huh." Harry managed. "Out of interest, just how big _is_ Evans Industries at the moment? Last I checked, I had maybe forty people working for me."

" _There are currently six hundred and seventy-eight individuals in the emply of Evans Enterprises. Of these, two-hundred and fifteen are magicals, of which one-hundred and sixty seven are Werewolves, three-hundred and fifty-seven non-magicals of which one hundred and three are Squibs, forty-three Veela,twenty-two Goblins, nineteen House-elves, sixteen vampires, three Merfolk, two Centaurs and one Basilisk."_

"One Basili…" Ginny chopped her exclamation off, then shook her head. "SssSthss, right?"

" _Correct, Miss Weasley. In addition to her regular wage for providing security, SssSthss is paid per liter of venom donated to Evans Enterprises."_

"Vampires?" Neville asked curiously. "Don't they need to feed off living beings?"

" _Incorrect, Heir Longbottom. Vampires can subsist on human-edible food for up to a year before entering hibernation, although their biology is optimized for blood consumption. Evans Enterprises recently began the production of Cloned Blood. Vampires may claim up to one-quarter of their wages in the blood-types of their choice at a cost of one-tenth of the normal retail price per litre. There are currently ninety-six… correction, one-hundred and fourteen Vampires seeking employment with Evans Enterprises."_

"You're getting your own vampire army?" Neville asked laughingly and Harry gave him an exasperated glare.

"Are you?" Ginny teased.

"No." Harry stated firmly.

* * *

.

"No." The pale man stated firmly.

Voldemort stared at the being that he had managed to arrange the covert meeting with.

"…may I ask why, Mr Sanguine?"

The vampire gave a thin smile. "You offer once more the chance to prey on Muggles and the occasional Wizard or Witch who displeases you. However, there is now another, better option available for us Vampires."

"And that option is…?" Voldemort prompted and Sanguine pulled out a small bottle filled with a thick red liquid.

"Blood." He said almost needlessly. "I do not know who came up with the technique, but all that is needed is a small sample of bone from someone and thousands of liters of blood can be produced from it. It is easier to make it from Wizards and Witches as they can regrow their donated bone with Skelegro, but several Muggles have also given of their bones for this. Most of the blood is sold to Muggle hospitals, but more and more is being purchased by we Vampires. _Pure_ blood, no contamination from drinking or smoking and whichever type we prefer. This one is A-positive, although I am not sure if that means anything to you."

Voldemort concentrated on not pulling his wand and killing the smirking undead in front of him.

"I will pass your words to the others, but I would be shocked if even a dozen were tempted." Sanguine took a sip from the bottle, then put the cap back on and stowed it once more. "Good day, Voldemort."

Voldemort bowed jerkily as Sanguine strode off.

He didn't need the bloodsuckers anyway.

He had five _Obscurials_.

He had Gellert Grindlewald.

His victory was assured.


	28. Preparations

"…and _TIME_!"

At Roger Davies' call Ginny aborted her throw and stuck her tongue out at Harry, who simply smiled innocently back at her. Going into a gentle descent, Ginny landed on the pitch and took her position beside fellow-Chaser Anna Gedes.

"Not bad, ladies, we _almost_ made it past Potter a time or two." Roger noted as he landed in front of them. "That combination of Ghost Pass and Spinning Drill has potential."

"I _almost_ didn't catch that one." Harry agreed. "May I suggest that next time, all _three_ of you act as if you have the Quaffle, rather than just the two involved in the Ghost Pass? It was that which alerted me to something being up."

"Noted." Roger nodded. "Good call, we'll work on that."

"Teaming it up with a Bludger Barricade would be extremely effective." Harry added. "Especially if the Keeper is covering the left or right hoop, it'd make it really hard for them to reach the other side in time."

"Sounds like something we should practice." Duncan Inglebee noted. "Good thing that the Bludgers have that enchantment on them to make them avoid the team of the Beater that clobbered them last. That makes it easier."

"Less than a month to go." Roger mused, then he grinned. "My sources tell me that Malfoy is working very hard to come up with new ways of faking out the Keeper. So far, he's got over half his shots past Bletchley."

"Given Bletchley's skill, that's not really very impressive." Anna joked, earning several chuckles.

"My source has also said that Terence Higgs has gone to several training sessions at the Ballycastle Bats stadium." Roger added, causing Cho Chang to suddenly look very thoughtful. "Expect him to be better. Cho, we'll need you at the top of your game. Until we've scored sixteen times, you need to beat him to the Snitch or at least block him from getting it."

"Understood." Cho nodded.

"Hermione's coming up with a few new plays for us to try out next session." Roger nodded to the nearby stands where a familiar head of bushy hair was bent over a notebook, the end of a quill occasionally flicking into view above the fabric edging of the seating area. "After how well the _Hawk Ascending_ seemed to work, I for one am looking forwards to seeing what she comes up with next."

Harry hid a slight smirk as he saw Hermione blush at Roger's praise.

* * *

.

"My Lord." The heavyset man bowed deeply and Voldemort nodded in acknowledgement.

"MacNair. Welcome back."

"It is good to have you back, my Lord." Walden stated, obeying Voldemort's hand-wave and rising to his feet. "How may I serve?"

"Have you been in contact with those of us who survived that fiasco where Potter revealed that he could temporarily remove our ability to perform magic?"

"I have, my Lord." MacNair stated, then he frowned. "But there are so few of us. Even with the new followers that I and the others have recruited, we still number barely more than thirty."

"The Giants that I would have once commanded are all dead, the Werewolves have their cure and the Vampires have a new source of blood which means that they are no longer at risk of being hunted for attacking people and thus have no interest in allying with me." Voldemort mused. "The three remaining Dementors refuse to leave Azkaban and even the Hags have chosen to keep away."

"But you are here, my Lord!" Walden protested. "That means that we shall win!"

Voldemort snorted. "No, my loyal follower, it means that we stand a better chance of winning than most would think, given our forces. To truly guarantee victory, we need to know how Potter performs that magic of his and I have a plan for that."

"How may I help, my Lord?" Walden asked instantly.

"During my last incarnation, one of my now unfortunately-deceased allies managed to find an interesting potions recipe that the Unspeakables were trying to refine. The potion removes the free will of the drinker and opens their mind fully to those with Legilimency. Unfortunately, it is also fatal, killing the drinker within an hour, making it unsuitable for most uses. I have most of the ingredients for it, including Veritaserum to use as a base, but there are a few extra ingredients that I still require…"

"It is a good thing that Snape managed to survive." MacNair shrugged. "I'm sure his potion skills will prove very useful."

"I do believe that with Gellert's aid, I can do this myself." Voldemort mused. "I see no reason to risk my spy in Hogwarts at this time. Here is a list of the last few ingredients. Please purchase them for me."

"Yes, my Lord." Walden bowed as he accepted the list. "I shall not fail you!"

"I know you will not." Voldemort smiled. "You may go."

Walden turned and vanished with the characteristic crack of Apparition and Voldemort flicked his wand to dispel the privacy spell that had surrounded them.

"It works!"

Voldemort turned round to see Gellert float up to deck level, touching down lightly.

"I see that you have completed the first copy of my flight-set." He noted. "How long before the others are complete?"

"Wahoo!"

Peter zoomed out through the hatch, laughing as he rocketed up to the upper bridge, coming to rest on the windshield. "I love it! Grandpa Gellert, can I get some green clothes? I _gotta_ dress like my namesake!"

"We can go shopping tomorrow." Gellert smiled as he floated up to beside the young boy. "Do you think the others will want to join us?"

"I'll ask!" Peter half-shouted as he dived down through the hatch.

"I have a full flight-set for _each_ of us as well as a couple of spares in addition to that score of helmets you asked me to enchant." Gellert explained as he floated back down. "Thank you for letting me watch you make yours, although the version I have is… improved."

"Oh? Improved _how_?"

* * *

.

"Enter!" Severus barked as his quill hovered over a piece of parchment. The door opened and he glanced up, raising an eyebrow as he recognized his visitor.

"Mr Potter." He nodded in greeting even as he drew a line through one of the sentences on the parchment before him. "What brings you to my office?"

"Curiosity, sir." Harry admitted, causing Snape to put his quill down.

"Curiosity, Mr Potter?"

Harry nodded. "Sir, when you tested my mental defences last year, you noted that they were like nothing that you had ever encountered before, but…"

"But I showed no interest in learning the same techniques myself." Snape finished.

"Well… yes, sir. I was wondering… why?"

Snape steepled his fingers. "Mr Potter, I am one of the most capable _Occlumens_ in the entire United Kingdom and one of the better _Legilimancers_. In fact, I rank fifth and seventh respectively. I personally know of only three who are better than I in both together, Albus Dumbledore and the Flamels, although the latter are currently living abroad.  
"The Dark Lord is a more powerful _Legilimancer_ than I am, but even he cannot penetrate my mental shields unless I allow him to, the same is true for Dumbledore.  
" _Your_ mental defenses, however, are built using a completely different technique to that which I have based my own on. Should I try to learn your way, I would most likely have to weaken my own shields first, thus making me vulnerable, even if only for a little while. I cannot afford such vulnerability, so therefore, I do not seek to duplicate your skills."

During Severus' recitation, Harry looked slightly confused, then enlightened.

"Thank you, sir. It's been bugging me for a while."

"At least you are intelligent enough to seek to learn that which you do not know." Severus said, a hint of approval in his voice. "If there is nothing else…?"

"No, sir."

"Then you may leave." Severus picked up the quill and scowled at the essay before him. "I have several more pages of this dunderhead's mindless wittering to wade through."

"Good luck, sir." Harry managed not to laugh as he left the office. After he had closed the door behind him, Severus sighed.

"Lily… there is so much of you in him…"

* * *

.

"…interesting clothes." Voldemort noted as the brightly-colored obscurials filed past him, chattering like a flock of magpies as they carried bags towards their bedrooms.

"We found a fancy-dress shop." Gellert chuckled as Pettigrew staggered past, his hands engulfed by the dozen extra bags he was carrying. "We got several changes of outfit for each of them, they can now dress as their namesakes should they so choose."

"I am sure that they'll be giving us a fashion parade soon." Voldemort half-joked, then he looked round as they were joined by another figure. "Ah, Barty. Did you get the supplies that I required?"

"I did, my Lord." Barty held up a small bag. "I purchased a bit more than you wanted, just in case something went wrong."

"Very good, Barty." Voldemort smiled approvingly as he took the bag.

"I also purchased some mice for your snake, my Lord."

"I am sure that Nagini will be overjoyed."

Barty bobbed his head in a near-bow, then scurried up the gangplank and into the boat. Voldemort looked round, then cast a couple of spells before nodding in satisfaction as a group of warmly-wrapped tourists walked past, not sparing him even a glance.

"Excellent, the protections are still holding."

* * *

.

The dojo was silent as Harry opened the newly-installed locker, sliding the roller-door up to reveal a number of training weapons on pegs.

" _Torquasm Rao_ is a strong martial art, but the more advanced katas were designed to be used in conjunction with weapons." He explained as he motioned to the various rune-inscribed weapons on display. "Neville, if you could come here, please?"

Neville walked up as Harry unhooked a sword and held it out, handle first. Neville gingerly took it and Harry held out his left hand.

"Neville, I need you to trust me. Strike at my wrist."

"…Harry?"

Harry looked at his friend and smiled. "It's a demonstration, Nev. Now, downwards cut, please. It'll be fine."

Neville swallowed, then raised the blade before swinging it down. Everyone gasped as the blade went straight through Harry's arm, leaving it unscathed but with a red glow reaching up to his elbow.

"Ow, that stings." Harry commented as Neville stared in shock. "What you have just seen is the effect of the practice weapon. The glow simulates the effect of the attack, stopping me from using this limb properly and acting like a constant stinging hex until it is cancelled."

Putting action to words, Harry tapped the small metal device he was wearing on his belt and the glow vanished.

"Wear one of these runic arrays on your belt and it'll interact with the weapons to keep track of how much you should have been injured." Harry continued. "Should you _die_ , the glow will fully encase you and stop you from moving, but it'll also cushion you as you fall to the ground. Of course, if that happens, it means that either you'll have to wait five minutes for it to reset or have someone else tap the reset rune for you."

"Harry…" Flitwick said slowly, "I do believe that Gringotts would be _very_ interested in this."

Harry grinned as he continued. "Now, the shields are rune-enhanced to deflect spells and direct vibrations to the outer surface, meaning that if you block with a shield, you'll feel maybe a tenth of the impact, the rest being reflected the way it came. This means that shield-bashes are almost twice as strong as normal…"

.

"An excellent session." Flitwick congratulated Harry as he helped to return the weapons and shields back to their hooks. "Miss Granger seems to be very taken with the shield-bracelets. As she left, I heard her calling Jorel to ask if she could purchase some of her own."

"I was more concerned with fending off Luna and her naginata." Harry admitted. "I don't know how she did it, but at times, it seemed as if she had _three_ blades on that thing instead of one and on occasion, the blade seemed to be _independent_ of it, even though I know for a fact that it isn't detachable."

"Her idea of adding a _second_ blade to the other end seemed quite feasible." Flitwick noted and Harry shuddered.

"I could barely fend her off when she was using only _one_ blade. I don't even want to consider what she'd be like with _two_!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The practice-weapon idea was cribbed from the Elvenblood Series by Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey.  
> While only three books long (and with a massive plot-hook for a future book that may not be written), it's a good read.  
> The books are called The Elvenbane, Elvenblood and Elvenborn.


	29. Darkness Rising

"You're an _animagus_." Pomona Sprout stated as she emerged from a small alcove between plants and Neville flinched slightly, then nodded. "What are you, out of interest? I've never seen an animal with four hands before."

"I'm an Orang-utan." Neville said with a slight shrug. "It's a type of ape, very strong."

"And with four hands, it would certainly make it easier to deal with certain plants." Professor Sprout nodded. "I take it you hadn't realized that I was in here when you began trimming the vines?"

Neville nodded in agreement. "I thought you were in greenhouse seven when we arrived and since you always ask me to help trim things, I thought I'd get a head start."

"You did a good job." Pomona nodded as she looked at the freshly-tamed plant, then she frowned. "We?"

Neville winced, then tried to move to block one of the archways into the side wing, only for Pomona to nip past him and come to a sudden stop.

"A tiger lounging in the sunlight while reading a book." She stated in a flat voice. "Miss Granger, I presume?"

Nevelle leaned to look past Professor Sprout and caught Hermione transforming back into her human form.

"How did you know?" She asked and Pomona smirked.

"Lord Potter is a white dog, Neville here is an… _orange-tan_?"

"Orang-utan." Neville corrected.

"…and Miss Lovegood is a large bird." Pomona continued, giving Neville a nod of gratitude. "Therefore, the tiger was going to be either you or Miss Weasley and Miss Weasley isn't as eager to read as you are."

Hermione and Neville looked at each other and Pomona chuckled.

"Oh, feel free to use your animal shapes here whenever you want. In fact, I think I'll talk to that young rapscallion Black about becoming an Animagus myself."

"You may need to speak to Headmistress McGonogall as well." Hermione offered. "For the ritual, at least."

Pomona nodded. "A good point, dear. Five points to Ravenclaw… and I have to ask. Who did you do the ritual with? I know it wasn't Minnie and I can't think of any other female animagi in the area…"

"Harry helped us via his family magic." Neville supplied before Hermione could say anything. "The Potters have a ritual which allows them to attain animagi skills without the need for anyone else to participate, although it does require a great deal of preparation and stored magic.

Pomona frowned in thought, then shrugged. "Well, you three are close as siblings, it's no surprise he'd share it with you. I hope you thanked him."

"We did." Hermione replied, then she gave the professor a pleading look. "Please don't tell anyone…"

"Tell anyone what, my dear?" Pomona laughed. "Neville, you finish up while I go talk to Black. I wonder what my form will be?"

As Pomona bustled off, Hermione leaned close to Neville.

"I think we were lucky." She whispered.

"Very." Neville replied, just as quietly. "I wonder what Harry will say when we tell him?"

"I think he'll laugh." Hermione mused. "But at least I don't need to find a new place to sunbathe."

Neville rolled his eyes, then rippled back into his animal form. Pausing only to grab the shears with one foot, he swung back up into the rafters.

* * *

.

"My Lord?"

Voldemort looked up from the desk where he was writing something in a folder. "Ah, Draco. Welcome. Please, come in."

"Thank you, my Lord." Draco bowed as he stepped into Voldemort's office/bedroom. "My Lord… if I may ask…?"

"This?" Voldemort motioned to the collected sheets of parchment on his desk. "In order to rule successfully, one must prepare carefully. Gellert and I spent much of the voyage over debating the laws that we will put into place, laws that will create a society that raises the pure to where they deserve to be as well as providing enough protection to the others that they do not simply depart for foreign shores. Consider what would happen if all the Muggleborn and Halfbloods left."

Draco frowned in concentration. "There would be no more attempts to usurp the Purebloods…"

"Think _economically_." Voldemort prompted.

"The Purebloods would take over running all the shops?"

"Why would they?" Voldemort countered. "They are, after all, _Purebloods_. Of superior breeding and thus not to be expected to sully their hands in such things as mere retail. Assuming that they actually had the correct skillset for the jobs in question, that is…"

Draco's eyes widened in horrified realization. "Our society would collapse!"

"It would. And quite dramatically, too." Voldemort confirmed. "The lower classes are like sickles and knuts. They are beneath notice… right up to the point where you do not have enough of them, whereupon it becomes vital that you encourage them to thrive if you wish to avoid a very painful future in poverty."

"I… hadn't considered that." Draco sounded shaken.

"Neither did I… in the days _before_." Voldemort admitted ruefully. "It is rather ironic, though. Much of my planned re-organisation of Wizarding Society was originally proposed by none other than Albus Dumbledore himself."

Draco's eyes widened.

"Oh, it's true." Voldemort chuckled. "Back when Albus was barely out of school, he befriended a visitor, a charismatic young man. The two of them became close friends and lovers… until they had an argument which escalated into spellfire. When the spells stopped flying, Albus' sister was dead and Albus swore that he would oppose his former lover. They faced off against each other several times, but when they last fought, Dumbledore won and imprisoned his former lover in the very prison that he had made and from which I rescued him."

"Gellert Grindlewald… was… Dumbledore's…?" Draco sounded shocked.

"It is said that great men instinctively seek each other out, Draco. Gellert sought Dumbledore… I sought Gellert and you sought me. Once we have rebuilt Wizarding Britain to be how it should be, I would be honored if you will accept an apprenticeship. I look forwards to seeing you become all that which you can be."

"I… I thank you, my Lord…" Draco finally managed.

"Now, though, we must move to more mundane matters. Have you the most recent plans of Hogwarts as I requested?"

Draco reached into his robes and pulled out several sheets of tightly-rolled parchment. "I have them here, my Lord."

"And in return, here are medallions to protect you and those who are still loyal to our cause. They are inactive now, but when the time comes, they shall allow you to cast spells when no others may. You will know the time when it arrives."

"I will, my Lord?"

"You will. Trust me on that."

.

The door closed behind Draco as he headed back to Hogwarts via the Vanishing Cabinet and Voldemort's benevolent smile turned into a sneer.

"Draco, Draco, Draco." He sighed, shaking his head. "So easy to manipulate. You never paid attention to your parents lessons, did you? All that breeding, all that potential, _wasted_. Still, when it is time for me to abandon this body, you shall by then be a perfect host. I shall ensure that."

Unrolling the parchment, he laid them out on his desk, then he pulled out another folder from the desk drawer and opened it.

"As I thought… the corridor to the Wardstone hasn't moved…"

.

"… _time for me to abandon this body, you shall be a perfect host. I shall ensure…_ "

The short-lived monitoring spell faded and Draco frowned as he climbed into the Vanishing Cabinet to return to Hogwarts.

"So, you would usurp me?" He muttered to himself. "But there are ways to catch a ghost, _my Lord_. I shall learn all I can from you, but I will be ready for that day and I shall take your name for myself as you are imprisoned forever."

.

Gellert stroked his chin thoughtfully as he pondered what he had just heard via his own monitoring spells.

Perhaps young Malfoy could be more than a mere pawn. He was getting old and an apprentice would be useful.

But how to alert the young Lordling to the threat he faced without tipping Voldemort off?

This would require a great deal of thought.

Gellert turned back to inscribing runes into the helmet on the desk in front of him.

He still had time to consider the actions he had to take and the helmets would not prepare themselves.

* * *

.

"You have _got_ to be kidding." Harry looked at Sirius pleadingly. "Please tell me you're kidding me!"

Harry's godfather looked back at him with a straight face, then despite all his best efforts, a corner of his mouth twitched.

"You complete and utter…" Harry's cut-off curse was enough to finish the job and Sirius fell off his chair, howling with laughter.

"What did he do this time?" Remus asked as he entered the Sirius' office.

"Told me that thanks to several documents my dad signed, I was going to have a harem." Harry half-growled as Sirius grinned up at him.

"Well, you don't. Lily would have castrated him had he tried." Remus chuckled and Harry made a show of wiping his brow in relief, causing Sirius to crack up again.

"So, what brings you here, Moony?" Sirius finally managed to ask. "Schoolwork or Black stuff?"

"Schoolwork, sort of." Remus made his way over to the filing cabinet and opened one of the drawers. "Most of the teachers are asking about the Animagi course you're running and how to get forms of their own."

Sirius paled. "Oh hell! Erm, Harry, _you_ are dealing with Severus! We may not be enemies, but there's _no way_ I want to be naked in the same room as _him_!"

"He's not interested." Remus countered and Sirius looked at him in surprise. "His exact words were, and I quote, _I am perfectly content with who and what I am. Even if I were not, there is no way that I would wish to be anywhere near a naked Sirius Black, even for the purposes of an enhancement ritual._ "

"Well, at least that means I still have one skill he doesn't." Sirius grinned. "I'll be happy to help with the ladies, though."

"Yeeah… no." Remus shook his head. "Headmistress McGonogall has already stated that _she_ would deal with empowering the females who wish to be Animagi."

Sirius drooped and Remus shook his head as he duplicated several sheets of parchment before returning the originals to their folders.

"You said _most_ of the teachers." Harry pointed out. "Who else, apart from Professor Snape, wasn't interested?"

"Filius, Hagrid, Binns and Filch." Remus said as he conjured a folder for the papers. "Filius and Hagrid are both halfbreeds, their nature prevents them learning how to be Animagi. Binns… I'm not even sure he understood what I was talking about but since he's a ghost… and Argus Filch doesn't have enough magic to perform the change."

"What exactly does he do?" Harry asked curiously. "I mean, the House Elves deal with most of the stuff around Hogwarts, right?"

Sirius opened his mouth, then paused. "Good point. Moony, what _does_ Filch do?"

Remus tucked the folder under his arm as he organised his thoughts.

"His primary task is to patrol Hogwarts after curfew since House-elves are incapable of confronting students. He does do some cleaning and general maintenance, but he also acts as the purchasing agent for the things that Hogwarts needs from the Muggle world. Wizards and Witches would be less capable since they generally don't understand the Muggle world at all, especially Muggle money, and would end up paying far too much for the few things required."

"Huh." Sirius managed. "So he _does_ have a purpose other than terrorizing the kids."

Remus gave him a brief glare as he left and Harry grinned.

"So, did you just call me here to pull that harem prank, or was there a _real_ reason?"

* * *

.

"Jor-El?" Luna asked as she popped out of the Switching Room, a staff slightly longer than she was tall held in her hands.

" _Good evening, Miss Lovegood."_ Jor-El materialized and bowed in welcome. _"How may I be of assistance?"_

Luna held out the length of wood, the deep crack running half the length of it visible and exposing several strands of a silvery material inside. "I was hoping you could find a way to fix this and add a blade to the end so I could use it."

" _I am detecting a magic-resonance from this object."_ Jor-El noted and Luna nodded.

"It belonged to my grandmother, but it got damaged when she and Dumbledore faced off against Grindlewald. She was never able to repair it, but since you can do lots of stuff…?"

Luna's voice trailed off hopefully as the staff rose from her hands.

" _I shall see what I can do, Miss Lovegood."_

"Thank you! Oh, Jor-El, do you know if it's possible to do a _partial_ animagus transformation?"

" _May I ask what the purpose of such an action would be?"_

Luna grinned.


	30. Advantageous Movement

"Arthur! Molly!" Sirius grinned as he shook the hands of his guests. "Ah, Charlie, I see you managed to get time off your work at the dragon sanctuary. Shame that Bill can't be here today to see his sister play."

"Thank you for inviting us, Lord Black…" Arthur began, only to be interrupted by his host.

"Sirius, Arthur, you can call me Sirius. It's easy to remember, I'm _always_ Sirius!"

Molly rolled her eyes at the overly-repeated joke even as she allowed Sirius to guide her to her seat.

"Dobby, snacks please." Sirius said and a House-elf popped into existance with a tray of various finger-foods.

"Dobby be bringing Master Paddyfoot his snackies and snackies for his friends." Dobby said with a wide smile, putting the tray on the shelf situated for just such a use. Blinking out, he reappeared with three goblets and a couple of bottles before vanishing again.

"I wanted to avoid anything too alcoholic, so I purchased some of Abe's Butterbeer." Sirius commented as he opened one bottle and poured it into the goblets. "Try it."

Molly picked up the goblet and took a careful sip, then her eyes widened. "Wow! This is _much_ better than normal Butterbeer… deeper too. Let's see, I detect a dash of cinammon, a hint of lemongrass… a smidgen of saffron… not sure about the rest, but it certainly makes it taste a lot better."

Arthur took a sip from his own goblet and nodded in agreement. "It certainly does. I know where I'll be buying _my_ Butterbeer from now on."

"The match will be starting soon." Sirius grinned as he picked up his own goblet.

.

"The match will be starting soon." Voldemort said as he accepted the glass of lemonade from Barty. The five children were already crowding round the table, various fizzy drinks in hand, as they waited for the models of the two teams to take flight above the model pitch.

"I'm back." Pettigrew announced as he clambered out of the Vanishing Cabinet. "I did as you commanded, sir. I shrank the Cabinet at the other end and then took it up through the pipes to the rear gatehouse and placed it in the back corner of the rooftop level. You get a good view of the Quidditch pitch from up there."

"But heading there now means we would probably be spotted and our plan derailed." Voldemort noted as several of the children started to give him pleading looks. "When the Snitch is caught, that is when we shall go through. Is everyone wearing their flying devices?"

A series of nods answered him and Voldemort smiled.

"Then let us enjoy this game and see how Draco performs."

As everyone else returned to watching the table, Gellert pulled Voldemort into the corner and cast a brief privacy spell.

"You have the new Wardstone?"

"Shrunken and ready to deploy." Voldemort patted a pouch on his belt. "I have reviewed the fastest route down quite extensively, I do believe that I will be there within a minute of you reaching the Quidditch pitch. I also have what I need to let us learn Potter's most _fascinating_ magic style."

Gellert grinned. "I look forwards to using it."

"Then let us rejoin the others and enjoy the match." Voldemort suggested.

"Indeed."

.

"Here they come!" Molly almost bounced out of her chair as the Ravenclaw team flew out onto the pitch.

.

"Here they come!" Diana cheered as the Ravenclaw models flew onto the pitch, followed by the Slytherin team. Barty reached out and turned on the radio so that they could listen to the commentary as they watched the action.

"… _nd the captains are shaking hands as Madam Hooch opens  
_ _the box, ready to release the balls and begin the game._

" _The captains take to the air, moving into their positions and  
_ _Madam Hooch releases the Snitch! There it goes, vanishing to  
_ _who-knows-where… and the Bludgers are released! The heavy  
_ _balls fly up into the air and Madam Hooch grabs the Quaffle as  
_ _she mounts her broom. Up she goes… she throws the Quaffle!_

" _Draco Malfoy darts in as if he's been fired from a crossbow! He  
_ _grabs the Quaffle and_ immediately _passes it to Flint who ducks  
_ _to let a Bludger struck by Bole pass… excellent timing there, they  
_ _must have rehearsed it! Flint follows the Bludger as it forces the  
_ _Ravenclaw team to scatter… Oooh! Inglebee slams the Bludger  
_ _straight into Flint's gut and he drops the Quaffle as he tries to  
_ _stay on his broom! Weasley intercepts, Davies and Gedes move  
_ _to flank her as Samuels takes position above to intercept any  
_ _Bludgers… what a tactic! Samuels swings below him to deflect  
_ _the Bludger fired by Boles, Weasley races forwards, using the  
_ _very same tactic Flint tried, but there's no Slytherin Beater there  
_ _to counter her… she does a weaving spiral… and Bletchley totally  
_ _out of position… Ravenclaw claim the first goal, ten zero!"_

"Go, Ginny!" Molly shouted, bouncing with excitement.

.

"Nice one, little sister." Percy smiled with pride from where he was sat behind the twins.

" _Slytherin on the attack! Flint passes to Malfoy who then passes  
_ _it to Pucey and back to Malfoy… Malfoy does a roll… and dodges  
_ _the Bludger fired by Derrick! Malfoy races in behind the Bludger  
_ _as he closes in on the Ravenclaw Hoops… Weasley forced to veer  
_ _off due to the second Bludger fired by Bole and Malfoy takes the  
_ _shot, but Potter in the perfect position to block it! Malfoy salutes  
_ _Potter as he retreats up the field… that is an excellent display of  
_ _true sportsmanship, right there!_

" _Potter passes to Gedes who does a rising spiral, Weasley takes  
_ _flanking position… and peels off, racing for the Slytherin goals!  
_ _It must have been a Ghost Pass and the Slytherin Chasers are on  
_ _an intercept for her… Bole fires a Bludger at her and she evades…  
_ _GOAL! They_ faked _a Ghost Pass to open the way for Gedes! What  
_ _a_ brilliant _maneuver! Twenty-zero to Ravenclaw and Bletchley is  
_ _looking rather miffed. What an amazing move!_

Hermione smirked as Luna bounced up and down with excitement next to her.

"They did a _Wraith Rush_! That was awesome! It worked just like you said it should!"

"I know." Hermione grinned. "They did good."

.

Barty re-entered the room with a bag that clinked as he set it down.

"Twelve more bottles. What did I miss?"

"Ravenclaw are winning fifty/zero." Gellert supplied as Barty pulled the first bottle of Abe's Butterbeer out of the bag and passed it over. "Young Draco _almost_ managed to sneak the Quaffle past Potter, but he did a Bludger Block that brought him _just_ enough time to get into position to block Draco's second shot. I made sure to activate the recording function of the table so we can re-watch it later if we want."

"Cool." Barty passed a second bottle to Pettigrew, who promptly passed it on to Voldemort.

"… _and Draco evades wildly as Chang and Higgs slice through the  
_ _playing area, Chang slightly in the lead but Higgs looking like he's  
_ _about to overtake her… and Chang performs a Kaltor Roll, leaving  
_ _Higgs flatfooted as he tries to curve round… and Chang has caught  
_ _the Snitch! Final score is two hundred points to Ravenclaw and zero  
_ _to Slytherin! Once again, Ravenclaw has won! What a display and  
_ _although they didn't score any points, the Slytherin Chasers and  
_ _Beaters have nothing to be ashamed about, that was the best yet  
_ _that they've played, not a single foul or penalty but a true display  
_ _of skill and teamwork, making Potter work hard at preventing them  
_ _from scoring!"_

_"Let's see what the Studio thinks of this game..."_

Gellert switched off the radio as Voldemort made his way to the cabinet.

"Well, children, I believe that it is time to take control of the Wizarding World. Barty, hold down the fort for now. You are my secret ace in the hole should I need it."

"Yes, my Lord." Barty bowed as Voldemort stepped into the cabinet, closing the door behind him.

All five children perked up as Gellert reached for the door that Voldemort had vanished through.

"One at a time, come out as fast as you can and let's go!"

Gellert vanished into the cabinet and as the door swung open to reveal the now-empty interior, James was the first to dive in.

.

" _Alert! Alert!"_ Jor-El's voice echoed from every communication stone in Hogwarts that had someone close enough to hear it. _"Intruders detected atop rear gatehouse. Three intruders… four… five… six… Intruders have gained access through a Vanishing Cabinet… Eight intruders in Hogwarts, intruders now airborne. Update, Tom Riddle identified. Update, Peter Pettigrew identified. Tom Riddle entering Hogwarts. All others heading for Quidditch pitch!"_

Minerva looked up and her eyes widened as she saw the leading figure swooping down.

"That's Gellert Grindlewald!" She half-shouted. "Albus showed me his memories…"

"Indeed I am he." Gellert said in a sonorus-enhanced voice as he came to a stop just above the edge of the Quidditch pitch, his wand firmly in his hand. Pettigrew flew around to take position on the other side as the children came to a stop, flanking the elderly wizard. "Ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm. As long as you do nothing foolish, no-one need be hurt. Players, please land, if you would. Thank you."

.

The walls of Hogwarts seemed to blur as Voldemort twisted and dived through the corridors, his bracers, belt and greaves helping him attain a maneuverability that most broomsticks would have been unable to match. A twitch of his wand blasted open a door that loomed in front of him and he touched down lightly, one hand reaching into his pouch as the other flickering through a set of movements that any professional curse-breaker would have recognized.

"…and _done_." Voldemort gloated as the Wardstone's glow started to flicker. A swish of his wand caused the rune-encrusted boulder to roll out of the hollow it normally rested in and Voldemort placed the replacement stone in its stead, unshrinking it as he did so.

"Now to raise the new wards." He smirked.

.

McGonogall jolted, a move which did not escape Gellert's notice.

"Ah, so the Wards were linked to _you_. Albus really did pass control to you instead of just the title and paperwork."

"What have… you done?" McGonogall gasped.

"I? I merely escorted these five Obscurials here. If you mean the Wards, the new ones should be going up just about…"

A tingling sensation swept over the assembled people and Gellert nodded.

"And there we go. Now, I would advise all of you to refrain from using magic. You see, these new wards are rather reactive and should you try to cast a spell, you will feel quite a bit of pain. Of course, these wards do not affect my wonderful friends. We were very careful about that. James, a demonstration, if you would be so kind?"

James jumped into the air, then seemed to explode outwards into a roiling mass of magic that floated across the pitch until he reformed by Pettigrew's side.

"As you can see, you are now helple…"

A scream of anguish echoed across the pitch and Gellert sighed as he watched a red-headed witch convulse while a wizard frantically tried to tend to her without magic.

"As I was saying, you are all helpless. You cannot leave, the new Wards see to that, and the only way in or out is controlled by myself and Voldemort."

A chorus of gasps and a few screams rose, but Hagrid's voice echoed across the pitch.

"Yer not getting' us with that! 'E's dead an' people have been impersining him!"

"They have not." Gellert countered smugly. "His original body was destroyed by young Potter there, but his soul remained and so he has returned anew. Now, if you would all make your way to the Great Hall, please? Oh, don't expect the House Elves to help you. The Wards knocked them all out. We're not stupid. And Mr Potter, please remain behind. My friend _really_ wants to talk with you about your fascinating magical abilities and don't even _think_ of doing what you did at the Riddle Manor. Hogwarts is held up by magic. You cancel it out… how many people will die as the castle collapses on them, hmmm?"

Harry clenched his fists as he glared at the old man.

"Move along, people. Move along."

Slowly, the crowds started to make their way down the various staircases under the watchful eyes of Gellert and his group, eyes that failed to notice a large white bird flying away from the Quidditch pitch and circling round to the Ravenclaw tower.


	31. Preemptive Victory

Fudge looked up in shock as Albus Dumbledore stormed into his office. Before he could open his mouth, though, Albus was already talking.

"Cornelius, we've been had. Gellert was never headed for China, he was in America and now he's back… with _five_ Obscurials! I've already sent a message to Aberforth, but even between us, we can only contain _one_ of them and since it takes over a _dozen_ fully trained Aurors to counter a single _Obscurial_ , the correlation of forces is not good, even with the recent expansion of the Auror corps."

Fudge had paled as Albus spoke, but he went totally white as the aged wizard continued.

"One student got out of Hogwarts and raised the alarm. Madam Bones is recalling every former Auror who's still able to wave a wand, but against us… it's not only Gellert Grindlewald, Cornelius. Tom Riddle… _Voldemort_ … is back as well and he's taken down and replaced the Hogwarts wards. They're still powering up, but it's been confirmed that everyone trapped inside cannot use their wands. Gellert can, somehow, and his _Obscurials_ are unaffected, but everyone else may as well be a Squib for all the use they'll be."

Fudge shook his head in helpless denial. "No! How is this possible?"

"It was Riddle who broke Gellert out of prison." Albus looked every day of his advanced years. "While most of his followers are gone, there are still a few remaining and when they get to him, his ability to hold the children hostage will be much, much greater."

"What do we do?" Fudge hyperventilated. "What do we do?"

"Assemble our forces… and wait." Albus said heavily. "Cornelius, if we get through this, you will be remembered as the Minister who saved the children… _if_ you don't do anything to screw things up!"

Fudge nodded frantically as the door burst open again, this time admitting Amelia Bones who was waving a sheet of parchment at him.

"Fudge! I need you to sign this Emergency Recall! Now!"

Fudge scrabbled for the quill resting in the ink-pot as a young blond girl peered in through the door, her silvery eyes wide with amazement.

* * *

.

"Everyone is in the Great Hall, save Potter who is currently Stunned and bound in the room behind us." Gellert reported as Voldemort arrived at the top of the staircase leading down to the Wardstone. "Pettigrew and I sealed the doors, so they have no way out."

"Are you sure?" Voldemort frowned. "Hagrid _is_ half-giant. He may be able to punch the door down… or power his way through the wall"

"Which is why we have him suspended by his ankles from the rafters." Pettigrew snickered. "He can't punch the door down if he can't reach it."

"Very clever." Voldemort nodded approvingly. "I believe it is time to summon reinforcements. I shall go back to the boat and send out the signal, then lead them back here. By the way, where's Severus?"

"Here, my Lord." Snape said, stepping out of the corner.

"He handed his wand to me without being asked." Gellert said, handing it over to Voldemort.

"Do you wish me to bring out those of my House whom I believe are ready to follow you?" Snape asked and Voldemort shook his head.

"Not yet, Severus. Not yet. Until I return, you will obey Gellert as you would me."

"As you command, my Lord." Severus bowed as Voldemort returned his wand before he strode off.

"Severus, check around the school to see if anyone is still out of the Hall." Gellert commanded. "Once done, meet us at the Teacher's Lounge."

"Of cours, sir." Severus bowed again, then turned and strode off, his cloak flaring dramatically.

"Peter, secure Potter and Stun him again." Gellert commanded. "I need to check on how the children are doing. It does not do well to let a weapon be damaged through inattention, after all."

* * *

.

Neville gritted his teeth against the pain wracking his body as he used his wand to cast a cutting spell at the enchanted ropes that were wrapped round the beam he was standing on. A brief application of magic sliced through the ropes, causing them to dissipate…  
…and the resulting blast of pain was so intense that Neville staggered and toppled off the beam, plummeting to the ground.

"Gotcha, Nev!" Hagrid caught the plummeting teen, setting him carefully to his feet. "Thanks."

"That… hurt." Neville shuddered. "I think… I need… to rest…"

"I got him, Hagrid." Hermione took over supporting Neville and led him to the corner where Ginny was arranging cushions taken from the teachers chairs.

Draco watched the boy being led off, then he walked to the Teachers Table. Climbing onto it, he held up a hand to get everyone's attention.

"Everyone, please listen!" Draco pitched his voice to carry and the Hall went quiet. "We need to plan. We need to know if anyone is still out there or if they caught us all."

"An excellent thought, Mr Malfoy." McGonogall said approvingly. "Everyone split into your houses and subdivide into your years. If anyone's missing, inform your Head of House."

"But Professor Snape isn't here!" One of the Slytherins called out and McGonogall frowned slightly even as Draco hid a smirk of triumph.

"Well… report to Professor Tonks, then."

Draco clambered down and made his way to the milling Slytherins. Soon he would be able to use the medallion he was wearing to relay the information on which students had been missed to Voldemort.

He would prove himself worthy of being taught all that Voldemort knew, then he would strike down the Dark Lord and his journey to true power would be complete!

.

"Barty!"

"Yes, my Lord?" Barty Crouch almost Apparated to the top of the Gangplank.

"Bring the Cabinet to the forward deck."

"Yes, my Lord!" Barty scurried off, then reappeared, levitating the Cabinet into position. "Is it time for me to join you in your time of triumph, sire?"

"Not yet, my loyal servant." Voldemort shook his head. "I am sorry, but until my reign is accepted, you must remain as my hidden dagger."

Barty seemed to sag.

"However, before you return to guard my anchor once more, I have need of your presence. Your arm, please."

Barty rolled up his sleeve and Voldemort touched his wand to the Dark Mark that the sleeve had concealed.

.

Walden MacNair twitched slightly as the Dark Mark on his arm pulsed. The co-ordinates of where he was being summoned to formed in his mind and he carefully slipped out of the briefing hall, grateful that he had chosen to stay near the back.

No-one saw him leave.

.

In a hidden mansion, several sheets were flung to the grimy floor as the two who had been In the bed lunged towards the wardrobe, flinging it open and pulling up the boards to reveal a pair of dark robes and skull-like masks.

Moments later, the Carrow Siblings Apparated out of their home, their eyes alight with dark glee at the thought of being re-united with their Master once more.

.

The first pop of Apparition caused Voldemort to turn around.

"Walden, welcome back."

"It is good to serve a true leader once more, my Lord." Walden intoned as he dropped to one knee, bowing his head in respect.

Two more pops announced the arrival of the Carrows, who stared at him in wonder before dropping to their knees.

"My Lord, you have returned!" Alecto exclaimed gleefully.

"We are yours to command." Amicus added.

"Rise, my followers." Voldemort commanded and the trio before him rose to their feet. "Amicus, Alecto, how did the mission I sent you on just before my fall go?"

"The valley has been warded and the House cleansed of the taint of the Prewetts." Alecto reported with a smirk. "The twins' planned safe-house, which they never got to use, is now yours to use as you will."

"Show me." Voldemort commanded and Alecto fearlessly removed her mask so that she could meet his gaze. After a moment, she stumbled, her brother catching her. "Excellent work, both of you. We now have a secure headquarters should Hogwarts become unusable for any reason. I am proud of you both."

The siblings preened.

"There has been a change." Voldemort waved his wand and from a small chest on the deck near the Vanishing Cabinet, a trio of Roman-style helmets floated over. "I have new tools, _Obscurials_ in command of their power, but they are young still. These helmets will allow you to use magic without being affected by the wards and are charmed so that wizards and witches will be unable to make out your faces, only your general expressions, but the five _Obscurials_ who follow me will be able to see you, so treat them _gently_ and _with respect_. Each one could easily rip all of you to shreds but they are loyal to me."

Alecto donned the helmet, fastening the strap under her chin, the other two following suit.

"I acquired the helmets in America and my ally applied the runes to shield your faces as well as protect against any mental attacks." Voldemort stated as he led them up the ramp. "Now, step through the Cabinet and my ally, Gellert Grindlewald, will be waiting for you. I shall be along soon."

The trio filed, one at a time, through the cabinet and Voldemort growled.

"Only three of my legions remain, and two of those by pure chance. I have much work to do to rebuild the ranks of my followers."

A flick of his wand closed and shrank the chest, which floated to his hand. Pocketing it, he stepped into the Vanishing Cabinet once more.

.

"We have problems. Young Malfoy used the communication function of the medallion I slipped him." Gellert reported as Voldemort stepped out of the cabinet. "The first is that one of the students, a Luna Lovegood, is missing."

"So we need to find where she is hiding, correct?" Voldemort asked, then he paused, looking at Gellert's expression. "Why do I believe that there is more to this than I originally thought?"

"She's an _Animagus_ with the form of a bird." Gellert stated.

"Then the Ministry already knows about what has happened here." Voldemort deduced. "I had hoped to have several days before they worked out that something had happened. This is most irritating. And the second problem?"

"Apparently a Neville Longbottom managed to resist the anti-wand Ward long enough to get Hagrid down from the rafters."

"Impressive." Voldemort mused. "The Ward, when active, causes as much pain as the _Cruciatus_. _To_ resist the pain enough to actually cast a spell… He will need to be watched. Alecto, Amycus, go and watch over the Great Hall. The door is sealed with a _Collaportus_ , so negate it and Stun everyone inside, then get their wands from them. And tie Hagrid up again."

The Carrow siblings bowed, then scurried off to do their Master's bidding.

"Peter, the new Wards allow those who are wearing the adapted flight-gear to Apparate. Get to the gates and see how many Aurors are out there."

Peter vanished with a sharp _crack_.

"Gellert, the _Obscurials_ … get them onto the roof and watching out for any sign that the Wards have been penetrated."

"An excellent idea." Gellert nodded, then he vanished in an almost-silent Apparation.

"Severus, Put one of these helmets on and head for the Hall. Find those of your House who you know wish to join us and revive them. Once they are awake, give them each a helmet to wear. They are charmed to conceal the wearer's face from those who are not with us."

"As you wish, my Lord." Severus bowed, accepting the chest and after donning one of the helmets inside, strode off with the chest levitating behind him.

"MacNair, you are with me." Voldemort stated. "I believe I will need a certain trump card earlier than expected. It is time that Potter is forced to grant me the power that should rightfully be mine."

"Yes, my Lord."

"And we may need some leverage… go after Severus and bring back one of Potter's friends. Preferably a female one."

"Yes, my Lord."


	32. Questions

"Wakey wakey."

Harry blinked against the bright light shining into his eyes, trying to focus past the dazzling beam at the two figures that loomed above him. His limbs seemed heavier than normal, his strength in abeyance and a brief flex told him that he was bound to a pillar and fully restrained.

A muffled whimpering caught his attention and he managed to turn his head enough that the bright light was no longer shining directly into his eyes. As his vision cleared, he found himself looking at Ginny Weasley, gagged and bound spreadeagled to a wooden cross.

"Welcome back, Potter." Voldemort almost purred as he walked round to stand by Ginny, who glared at him in impotent fury. Pulling out his wand, he flicked the tip at her, causing her to strain against the bonds in agony, a scream forcing its way around the gag.

"Stop!"

Ginny sagged almost bonelessly against the ropes holding her to the crossed beams as Voldemort smirked.

"As I expected. You _do_ have a heroic nature, despite being in Ravenclaw. I have studied you in great detail. I have read the reports sent to me about you, paid close attention to all the stories in the Daily Prophet. I have even made a point of watching your games on the model table. You can tell a great deal about someone from how they play Quidditch, you know."

Harry glared at Voldemort, who grinned almost impishly before he suddenly flicked his wand at Harry.

"Crucio."

The pain lanced through him, yet Harry managed to ride the agony. Voldemort frowned as he ended the spell.

"So, you have good Occlumancy abilities, letting you withstand the pain. Excellent. The potion, if you please?"

The other figure handed over a small vial and Voldemort stepped forwards.

"You don't need to know what this potion will do, but I want you to drink it."

"And if I don't, you'll hurt Ginny, right?" Harry growled.

"Indeed." Voldemort agreed. "Conversely, I happen to know that you are friends with not only the Weasley Girl, but Heir Longbottom, Miss Lovegood and Miss Granger too. So, if you do not drink the potion, I shall torture each of them until they are simple drooling husks. On the other hand, should you drink, I willl merely have all four of them exiled, along with their families should they so desire. So long as they do not return, they shall be safe. You have my word on it."

Harry closed his eyes for a moment, then re-opened them, meeting Voldemort's calm gaze.

"Fine."

"Then as the saying goes," Voldemort smiled as he held the vial to Harry's lips, ignoring Ginny's frantic attempts to escape her bonds, "Down the hatch."

.

Severus Snape looked at the dozen students he had extracted from the Great Hall with pride on his face but despair in his heart. Draco Malfoy was smirking as he finished buckling his helmet on while his two followers were simply looking rather perplexed (which made very little change from normal, in Severus' considered opinion).

Looking at the students, Severus made his choice.

"Nott, go to the kitchens and begin rousing the Elves. With the new wards in place, they'll be docile. Get them to send a feast up to the Teachers Room, then find the Obscurials and get them fed."

"Yes, Professor." Theodore bowed slightly before rushing off.

"We need lookouts on the towers…" Severus continued, his heart sinking further with each command he gave.

.

In one of the dormatories, a chest slowly opened and a metallic shape rose silently from it.

.

Harry groaned as he felt his thoughts slow down and Voldemort smirked.

"It's working. Alright, Mr Potter, it's time for me to learn what you used against me the last time we met. _Legilimens_!"

_He  
_ _found  
_ _himself in a  
_ _mindscape like he  
_ _had never seen before,  
_ _all crystal pillars at odd angles  
_ _that left him wondering just where  
_ _he was. As he walked slowly through the  
_ _glowing structure, he became aware of an odd  
_ _sound. Looking around, his eyes widened as a strange  
_ _floating suit of armor approached._ _**You are not welcome in  
** _ _**this place, Tom Riddle.** _ _Voldemort backed away from the thing as  
_ _it approached him, energy coruscating around its fists, energy that he  
_ _somehow knew would, at the least, be very painful if it managed to touch him_

Voldemort staggered backwards as he wrenched his mind out from Potter's Mindscape.

"What in Salazar's name…?" He gasped. "That potion should have left your mind open!"

Harry chuckled despite the headache that was threatening to knock him out. "You miscalculated, Tom. You thought… I used… the same form… of Occlumency as… everyone else."

"I did." Voldemort admitted, then he shrugged. "Not that it matters, much. You'll be dead soon and since it'll be due to the potion that I brewed myself, it'll have been by my hand. The Prophecy will be completed."

Harry shook his head. "Tom… lean closer."

Intrigued, Voldemort did so and Harry whispered six words that caused Voldemort to pale.

"I. Was. Adopted. By. The. Potters."

Voldemort's face paled. "But… that would mean… No! NO! **NO!** You lie!"

Harry shook his head. "The real Harry… was stillborn… because of a spell… cast by one of… your Death Eaters, Tom. James and Lily... blood-adopted me. The real Harry… is buried… beside his parents."

Tom let out a wordless howl of fury, then he pulled out his wand.

"Crucio!"

Harry's world seemed to explode into pain, agony which lasted almost an eternity before it finally stopped, leaving him so exhausted that the only thing that held him up was the ropes that secured him.

"To hell with you!" Voldemort snarled. "You shall die here and when you are dead, I shall turn your corpse into an Inferi and use it to slaughter your friends! Walden, come!"

Voldemort stormed out of the dungeon, his minion scuttling along behind him and the door swung shut. Harry closed his eyes, then an inquisitive grunt made him roll his head and look up. From where she was bound, Ginny gave him a pleading look.

* * *

.

"We have scouting parties all around Hogwarts, along with Apparition points." Amelia Bones reported as she strode up to Albus, who was casting diagnostic spells at the Wards. "If anyone tries to get out, we'll have more than enough warning to intercept."

"The light from afar may yet fall in defense of others." One of the centaurs flanking the gate noted, earning a confused look from Amelia. "Our blades are ready to protect your colts when the Last Son makes his move."

"I… don't know." Albus admitted in response to the silent plea for a translation that Amelia sent him.

"Harry's been tortured by Riddle." Luna stated and both adults turned to look at her.

"And… how do you know that?" Amelia finally asked.

"Jorel told me." Luna stated, showing her watch. "He said he was sending help."

A sudden burst of screams announced the arrival of the help in question and Luna turned with a wide grin.

"Hello SssSthss!"

" _Hello, Luna."_ The giant Basilisk replied as the collected Aurors slowly re-emerged from the undergrowth. Amelia looked round and sighed.

"Someone track down the Aurors who apparated out and bring them back." She snarled. "You… Sssss-ssss-sss… gah! Basilisk, how did you get here?"

" _Jor-El ssent me to help capture the interloperss."_ SssSthss explained calmly.

"And we are honored to have you by our side." Albus interjected smoothly. "However, may I ask that you try not to kill anyone if possible?"

" _If they are dead, they cannot ansswer quesstionss."_ SssSthss replied in understanding. _"I sshall do my utmosst to take ssome alive…"_

.

"Stay here!"

The helmeted figure who had given the order bent down to grab the broomstick that lay at the base of the battlements, then she threw herself off the wall, mounting the broomstick in mid-air and diving down through an open door. Skimming down the corridor, she emerged into the entry hall and pulled up, negotiating the odd magical discontinuity between the corridor that crossed the ceiling of the hall and the hall itself. Landing lightly, she dropped to one knee in front of the one who commanded her.

"Report." Voldemort commanded.

"Dark Lord, there is a large number of people at the main gate, at least half of whom are wearing the robes of the Auror force."

"Not entirely unexpected." Voldemort acknowledged. "You may return to your station."

"My Lord!" The girl protested, causing Voldemort to raise an eyebrow quizzically. "There is a giant snake with them. I believe it to be the Basilisk that Potter removed from the Chamber of Secrets and tamed!"

"Now _that_ is an annoying turn of events." Voldemort sighed. "Fortunately, the Wards are designed to stop Basilisks from passing through, something which I insisted on including when I discovered what had happened to my living weapon. Do not worry, so long as the Wards remain up, they cannot reach us and should they somehow bring them down, we have five _Obscurials_ on our side."

.

The dungeon door creaked open and Ginny tried to scream. Harry looked up and, despite his tiredness, he smiled weakly.

" _Lord Potter, I am here to rescue you."_

"Thanks, Kelor." Harry whispered as the floating robot began the process of breaking the chains that held him. "Bring Ginny too…"

" _Of course, Lord Potter."_ Kelor replied. _"Scanners indicate you have been poisoned. Jor-El is activating the medical pod ready for you."_

Harry staggered as the chains fell away, remaining upright only because Kelor had caught him.

"Hold on, Ginny…" He whispered as Kelor guided him to the younger girl. "We'll get you… out of…"

* * *

.

"These wards are _ingenious_." Albus admitted almost ruefully as he lowered his wand. "My old friend was definitely the one who set them up, I recognize the flourishes he likes to use, but he did not do it alone. I do not recognize the signature of the other who set these Wards, which makes me believe that it was Voldemort."

"We need to find a way in!" Amelia protested. "My niece is in there along with the others… if You-know-who realizes that she's there… I've already lost my brother and sister-in-law, Albus. I don't want to be the last of the Bones!"

"You are not the only one to feel that way, Amelia." Albus noted. "But we must retain focus. We need to find a way of taking down these wards as until we do, we cannot rescue anyone. Once we get inside, speed will be of the essence."

"What of the Obscurials?" One of the Aurors asked.

"You cannot fight them and hope to win." Albus stated. "Instead, you must pull them away from Hogwarts. Decoy them into chasing you so that Voldemort cannot call upon them. By now… by now, he will have them obeying his every order without hesitation."

.

"I understand, my Lord. I shall go and fetch them now."

"Excellent, but remember to collect the chest from Severus first."

Macnair strode off at a pace bordering on actually running and Voldemort opened the door to the dungeon.

"Are you dead… yet… Potter?"

Voldemort looked round in confused disbelief, checking that Harry Potter hadn't somehow freed himself and crawled into one of the corners to die.

"Potter? Where are you? Potter?"

Edging forwards, his wand ready to fire a spell or cast a shield, Voldemort reached out with one foot and gently kicked the chains around the base of the pillar, then he half-turned and cursed.

"Dammit! That bitch must have freed herself somehow and got Potter out too!"

With a snarl he spun round and stormed out, pausing at the doorway.

"Where could they be? Where have they gone?"

.

The translucent cover slid into place over Harry's shivering form and the pod lit up with light. Ginny placed her hand on the cover, then looked at the floating golem.

"This will heal him?"

" _He will be healed within the hour, Miss Weasley."_ Kelor said gently and Ginny smiled, then staggered.

" _You need to be healed as well, Miss Weasley."_ Kelor said as it guided her to a second pod. _"Scans indicate that you have suffered slight damage to your nervous system. Please relax."_

Ginny let herself be guided onto the flat top of the pod, then the sides rose around her before the lid came down and a thick gas was dispensed from vents around the edge. Her last thought was of Harry as she spiralled into sleep, illuminated by the healing energy directed into her.

.

Macnair appeared with a crack of Apparition and strode into _The Immaculate Line_ where a rough-looking group of almost two-dozen wizards (and a couple of witches) had pushed two of the tables together.

"It's time." He stated. "Follow me."

.

"Ah, Draco." Gellert smiled as he stepped out onto the balcony. "I was hoping for a quick talk."


	33. Standoff

"Well, least tis better than hangin' upside-down wiv me blood rushin' to me head." Hagrid mused as he lay on the stone flagstones, trussed up in magical ropes and bindings. Above the assembled students and teachers, a pair of robed figures hovered on broomsticks, figures that wore helmets which were open, but showed nothing more than dark shadows with just enough hints of features to allow expressions to be seen. "How's Neville doin'?"

"Still out cold." Hermione fretted as she looked down at the boy whose head was cushioned in her lap.

"It would seem that we have misplaced another dozen students." Flitwick noted from where he sat nearby, his arms tied behind his back. "Draco Malfoy and quite a few of those who follow him seem to have vanished."

"Probably joined the Death Eaters." A voice grumbled from one of the three Weasleys sat nearby.

"Oi!" Hermione protested. "Unless you have evidence, don't accuse people of things! Besides, it was joining the Death Eaters that got his father kiled. Do you _really_ think that Draco Malfoy would want to follow in his father's footsteps like that?"

.

"How closely do you intend to follow your father's footsteps?" Nott asked as he and Draco stood atop the Astronomy Tower, watching the distant collection of Aurors and others through the enchanted telescopes.

"As closely as it takes for me to gain the power he once held." Draco stated coldly. "And yes, I know that my father's path led him to his death, but that was because he assumed that his victory was assured and he did not care about what his enemies would do. I have no intention of making tht mistakes. I have spent quite some time observing Potter, taking notes about his friends and allies, acquiring details about the assets that he can bring to bear… that kind of thing. There's almost nothing I do not know about him now."

"Draco!" Voldemort half-shouted as he appeared on the balcony behind them. "Did _you_ know Potter was blood-adopted?"

Draco blinked. "…what?"

.

"…what?"

The assembled witches, wizards and giant magical snake all stared at Luna Lovegood, or, to be more precise, the watch on Luna Lovegood's wrist from which a small holographic representation of Jor-El was being projected.

"I am sorry, Jorel." Albus Dumbledore finally managed. "I fear my hearing must be going. Can you please repeat that?"

" _Lord Potter and Miss Weasley have both been extracted from Hogwarts and are undergoing Healing at The Pottery."_ Jor-El repeated. _"Unfortunately, Tom Riddle is now aware that they are no longer within his grasp."_

"He will not be taking many more chances." Albus mused. "With two of his hostages having escaped, he will do his utmost to keep the others where he can see them.

Jor-El vanished, to be replaced by a small schematic of Hogwarts with several glowing dots. A crystalline caret surrounded the largest group in the Great Hall.

" _All hostages are currently being held at this location. There are two unknown individuals watching over them utilizing broomsticks to keep out of reach."_

"Where are Tom Riddle and Gellert Grindlewald?" Albus asked.

" _Individual tentatively identified as Tom Riddle is currently descending from the Astronomy Tower. Unknown individuals are now marked. Unable to identify due to masked bio-magical signatures."_

"There aren't that many of them." Amelia Bones mused, leaning forwards to examine the hologram more closely, then she half-turned to look at the Curse-breaker who had appeared by her side. "Yes, Mr Weasley?"

"The boss sent me over to give you a warning." Bill Weasley looked coldly furious. "He's identified one of the Wards as a Bleed-off Ward with a very nasty twist. It's linked to the Wand-Ward, meaning that should we take down the Wards, the backlash will go through everyone affected by the Wand Ward… such as all the students!"

A growling mutter briefly rose and then Albus held up his hand for silence.

"We cannot risk hurting the children by breaking the Wards. Bill, can the Wards be… dismantled without causing a backlash?"

"Not without access to the Wardstone." Bill shook his head. "We can't get in without breaking the wards, but we can't break the wards _to_ get in. We're stuck."

A short man wearing a mauve top hat staggered up to them, panting for breath.

"Albus… checked the tunnels… all blocked… no way through…"

"Thank you for trying, Dedalus." Albus sighed. "It would seem that my old friend and my old student have been plotting very carefully indeed."

"Where is he going?" Amelia asked, her attention fixed on the dot marked _Riddle_. "There aren't any corridors there and… how did he _do_ that?"

"I think I know." Albus mused.

.

Voldemort exited the Owl Tunnel and coasted to a halt amongst the rafters of the Great Hall. Looking down at the sheep-minded brats below, he frowned as Alecto moved closer.

"My Lord?"

"Alecto…" Voldemort pointed at one end where a solid curtain hung across one corner, then he motioned to where a boy was crouched behind a second curtain in another corner, that curtain being semi-transparent. "Explain?"

"Conjured curtains so that they can use potties, my Lord." Alecto supplied with a smirk. "Gender-linked, I can see the females aren't trying anything while Amycus can keep an eye on the boys. We asked Mr Grindlewald to help and he was happy to."

"Huh." Voldemort looked at the solid curtain again. "Well thought out. Has everything been quiet so far?"

"It has, my Lord." Alecto almost purred. "They've been good little sheep."

"Excellent." Voldemort gave the people below another long look. "I shall arrange for someone to take over from you soon. In the meantime, is there anything that you need?"

"We're fine for now, my Lord." Alecto grinned.

Voldemort smiled. "The I shall go and greet our newest allies."

.

The group in the Entrance Hall gaped in astonishment as Voldemort swooped down from above, coming to a stop just inches above the flagstones.

"Walden?"

"These are them, my Lord." Walden MacNair replied with a bow. "Ready to follow."

"You have done splendidly, my follower." Voldemort said with a benevolent smile, then he turned his attention to the mob staring at him in near-worship.

"Welcome, my friends and allies." Voldemort declaimed, rising slightly so that they were all looking up at him. "You are here for the beginning of a new era, a _golden_ era that will give rise to an age of magical superiority greater than even Atlantis!  
"Already, we hold the future of the Wizarding World in our hands and under our benevolent direction, we will lead them into a future brighter that any have dared imagine before!  
"With your strength, your courage and your wisdom, we can recreate the world as it _should_ be, removing the flaws that have bedeviled us for so long, disposing of the imperfections that have held us back and the parasites that have taken that which we have earned through our own skills and effort!  
"I promise you this and I ask for only one thing in return. Will you stand by my side? Will you lend your wands and hands to the building of our perfect world? Will you stride forth with me to claim the future for your children, grandchildren and _their_ children? Will you join me on our incredible journey? What say you?"

The cheers echoed off the walls and Voldemort beamed at them as he spread his arms.

"Then don the helmets that Walden is about to hand out and let us begin our glorious mission together!"

As the new arrivals queued up to claim their assigned headwear, a shorter figure slipped into the Vanishing Cabinet.

.

" _Situation update."_ Jor-El supplied, causing the intense conversations nearby to halt. _"New arrivals have entered Hogwarts through a device identified as a Vanishing Cabinet. All new arrivals have masked bio-magical signatures. Adversaries now number forty-five."_

"Vanishing Cabinet!" Albus cursed. "No wonder they got through the Wards so easily! Jorel, track that cabinet at all costs, we need to destroy it as soon as we get through the wards!"

" _Compliance."_

Albus gave a nod of satisfaction, then paused.

"Jorel… exactly _how_ were Lord Potter and Miss Weasley brought out of Hogwarts?"

" _That information is currently classified, Chief Warlock."_

"And who can _de_ -classify it for us?" Amelia Bones asked intently.

" _Lord Potter."_

"If Potter can get _out_ , perhaps we can use the same method to get _in_." Amelia mused.

"Which still leaves the problem of the Wand Ward." Albus pointed out.

"Wand Ward?" Luna asked curiously. "Would that work against staffs?"

"Your grandmother used to use a staff." Albus reminisced. "She taught me, but I always preferred using my Wand… I was younger then and valued mobility more than shields. I don't see why it should work against staffs, but mine is in my… Excuse me for a moment, please."

Albus turned on his heel and vanished with an almost-silent _crack_. Luna tilted her head slightly, then she took off her watch and laid it on a nearby tree stump.

"Back soon." She chirped, then she blurred into her avian form and took to the air, vanishing towards Hogsmeade.

Bill chuckled and reached for his belt. From a pouch far too small to hold it, he pulled out a six-foot long oak staff inlaid with willow and silvery runes.

"Cursebreaker." He said in explanation. "Sometimes we need shields far stronger than a wand can provide. I'll get to work on the gate area. If I can get a grip on the Wards, I may be able to distort them enough to let us get through. Does anyone else have non-Wand foci that they can use?"

"I have a bracelet." One witch said, lifting her arm to show the item in question. "It lets me project a shield."

"What good is that?" A wizard asked and the Witch sniffed.

"Staffs let you shield _or_ cast, albeit at the cost of mobility which is why I never bothered to learn. If I shield a Staff-user, he or she can cast spells without worrying about being interrupted."

"My ring lets me cast low-level hexes." Another Wizard offered.

"I have an enchanted shield at home that deflects spells back at the caster!"

"I studied swordsmanship when I was younger, I still have the sword I used. Its blade can deflect most spells."

"I'm an Animagus." Auror Richards stated. "I can swoop in to strike anyone trying to attack us."

"I need to get more Aurors Staff-trained." Amelia muttered to herself. "Merlin, _I_ need to get Staff-trained."

* * *

.

" _Your staff, Miss Lovegood."_

"Thanks, Jor-El!" Luna grinned as the fully-repaired staff floated into her outstretched hands. "You've changed it."

" _I took the liberty of re-aligning the interior core to increase thaumic resonance with your own magical signature by 315 percent, Miss Lovegood. The runic arrays will allow you to alter the length of the staff at will in addition to enhancing its durability by a factor of 85. It will also absorb any spell which hits it, converting it to pure thaumaturgical energy to aid in spellcasting.  
_ " _The tips are shod in a crystalline alloy which is virtually unbreakable and reflects kinetic energy, meaning that any strike will hit at double strength. The ends also contain modified dimensional switch-plates which can rotate end-units into and out of their associated sub-dimensions. The top end contains a spearhead, a spiked flail, a sword-blade and a war-hammer. The other end contains both a single and a double axe-head, a sword-blade and a halberd-blade. Practice is advised before attempting to deploy the modifications in combat."_

Luna nodded as she examined the modified staff, then her smile widened as a long blade formed at each end even as the staff shrunk.

"Amazing!" She breathed as she carefully stepped through several paces of her favorite Kata, then she let it revert as she heard footsteps approaching.  
"Harry! Ginny!" She paused just long enough to put her staff on the ground before lunging forwards to catch both new arrivals in a fierce hug. "Welcome back!"

.

"You're back." Nott noted and Malfoy nodded.

"I am. It seems that my father _didn't_ know about Potter, there was nothing about his adoption in the files. I double-checked and even asked Barty, he didn't know either."

"Have you already told… _him_?"

"I have." Malfoy stated as he gazed at the distant crowd, then he peered through the telescope. "Shit."

"What?"

"Potter's back. Nott, tell our Lord that Potter is at the gates, then tell the other Slytherins to get ready to run for the Cabinet if things go bad. With Potter no longer imprisoned… I do not wish to experience the same thing that happened to my father and _this_ time, Potter has more allies."

"Understood."

Draco nodded and then turned back to the telescope, one hand stroking the scaled leather belt he was wearing.

"Potter's doing something… _Fuck_!"


	34. Assault

"Lord Potter… are you sure this is a good idea?" Amelia Bones asked as Harry finished handing out new shields, swords and arrows to the assembled Centaurs. Several other wizards and witches were also carrying the circular shields and hefting them thoughtfully.

"My family magic isn't affected by the new Wards." Harry stated. "I _have_ to be part of the assault since I'm currently the heaviest hitter you have."

"He's right." Albus agreed almost sadly as he hefted his staff to test its balance. "Between the Centaurs and those of us who can use magic without wands, we outnumber them, but they can use wands and we cannot. Lord Potter is our primary asset in this situation."

Bones gave an angry nod.

"We are ready." Bane declared as the Centaurs finished forming up. "These arrows will do as you say?"

"The runes on the tip will breach most shields and should they hit someone, it will Stun them." Harry confirmed. "I had them made after last year's… _incident_ in case Hogwarts was ever attacked. I didn't expect to have to need them to _attack_ Hogwarts."

"We shall use them carefully." Bane confirmed.

"Everyone ready?" Harry asked and at the rumble of confirmation, he raised one hand, manifesting the **Lor** and **Ul** symbols. As everyone stared, he touched the closest symbol, opening a portal straight through the Wards and to a point half-way to the castle.

"Charge!" Bane commanded, waving his sword in the air and the centaurs flooded through the portal, splitting into groups as their hooves hit the path to the castle and spreading out to deny their enemies the chance to simply fly away. in their wake, the witches and wizards followed, staffs ready for use as needed while several birds soared above them.

.

" _Lord Potter is leading an assault."_ Jor-El reported quietly, causing Hermione, Ginny and Neville to exchange glances and nods.

.

The first sign that Alecto Carrow had that something was wrong was when her brother was tackled by a ballistic bear, the impact ripping him off his broom and bouncing him off one of the rafters on his way down.

"What the…" Alecto gasped, lifting her wand ready to cast _something_ , only for her vision to be obstructed by a massive fanged mouth set in an orange blur. Claws latched onto her shoulders and Alecto tumbled to the unforgiving flagstones below.

.

Reverting from his ape form, Neville didn't waste even a second.

"Barricade the doors! Help is on its way, but we need to do all we can to stay safe! Barricade now!"

As the teachers and students began to move, Neville moved to where Hermione was staring in shock at the motionless body of the witch she had landed on.

"I've got this." Parvati stated as she hustled past, gathering Hermione into a hug while across the other side of the room, Fred, George, Ron and Percy were gathered around Ginny with Fred and George using torn strips of their outer robes to tie up the injured wizard that Ginny had knocked down.

Grabbing Alecto's wand, Neville braced himself as he pointed it at Hagrid.

" _Finite Incantatem_!"

The wave of pain almost caused him to collapse, but the spell worked, the ropes holding Hagrid vanishing.

"I got you." Professor Sprout moved to catch Neville as he staggered. "Everyone, help barricade the doors! Now!"

.

"We're being attacked!" Peter shouted and the five Obscurials stared at him in shock. "They're trying to stop us by killing the children in the Hall!"

The Five scrambled out of the window, using their _otherforms_ to reach the ground in front of the incoming rescuers. Behind them, the main doors were flung open as Voldemort strode forwards, leading his army.

.

"They're children…" Albus mourned as the five brightly-clad _Obscurials_ clenched their fists.

"Everyone, try and reach the Wardstone." Harry commanded as his runes formed around him. "Get past Voldie and his crew. I have the _Obscurials_."

"Are you…" Albus trailed off in shock as Harry seemed to blur forwards, sending the oldest boy flying backwards, then he used a paired rune to hurl a second one back with a strong gust of wind.

"He's got this." Aberforth confirmed, jamming his staff against the ground as he shielded against the incoming spells. "We need to get to the Wardstone and take it down!"

.

"Not good." Draco mused as he watched from the balcony.

"We should help them." Nott noted and Draco nodded slowly.

"Yes… yes… find the others. Have them meet me at the… second floor gallery off the main stairs. That will be the best place for us to attack from without putting ourselves in danger from their return fire."

Nott winced as, below them, Dumbledore unleashed a staff-fired spell that impacted on one of Voldemort's followers, turning them into a lightning-laced explosion that killed two others and wounded at least three more.

"Right!"

Draco watched him go, then stroked his dragonhide belt again.

"I hope this works…" He muttered to himself.

.

Harry spun and jumped as the Obscurials tried to swarm him. Imbuing his feet and fists with magic so that they were surrounded with coronas of energy, he blocked and punched the twisting cloud-forms, occasionally briefly forcing them to revert to solidity as they tried to recover from his attacks. Whenever their assaults slackened, he would fire several spells at Voldemort, forcing him to dodge and block until the _Obscurials_ returned to engage him in combat once more.

.

"Albus." Gellert moved away from the group, wand at the ready and Albus copied his actions, staff ready to shield or blast as needed. "It has been a while, my old friend."

"It has indeed, Gellert." Albus agreed sadly. "It is not too late. You can still atone…"

"I have nothing to atone for!" Gellert snapped, his voice filled with cold fury. " _You_ are the one who should atone… for causing the death of your sister if nothing else! Such power… _wasted_!"

Albus' expression set. "Do not speak like that of Arianna, Gellert."

"And why not?" Gellert fired a probing spell at Albus, only for his old friend to use his staff to absorb it. "Just because she jumped in the way of the spell that I fired at you…"

Gellert paused as the area around him and Albus seemed to freeze.

"All these years I did not know which of us had fired the spell that ended her life." Albus ground out, his magic seemingly manifesting in an aura around him. "All these years, I feared it had been _I_ who slew her in my unthinking rage. _Thank you_ for putting my mind at peace… _old friend_!"

Gellert dived to one side, shielding for all he was worth as a blast slammed through the space he had been occupying, a blast so powerful that even its mere proximity shattered his protections and sent him bouncing across the ground. Gasping for air, he pulled himself to his knees, then he stared at the sight of Albus raising his staff again, debris circling him as a mere side-effect of the power he was channeling, power enhanced by the phoenix now riding his shoulder.

" _Scheisse_!"

.

"Shield and move!" Voldemort shouted as he dodged a blast launched at him by the barman of the Hog's Head. "You're more mobile, _use_ it!"

Matching deeds to words, Voldemort rose into the air, only to crash down heavily as a stooping bird raked its talons across his head. As he pulled himself back up to his feet, he grinned mirthlessly at the sight of Aberforth shielding himself from a near-solid barrage of spells being fired from the windows of Hogwarts.

His sense of triumph was cut short when a tall red-head used a staff of his own to unleash another blast at him, this one comprised mainly of lightning.

"Why in Merlin's name did I never decide to learn how to use a Staff?" Voldemort grumbled to himself as he created a shield to block the powerful attack. "Once this is over, I will get my own Staff and learn how to use it!"

The attack finally faded and Voldemort fired several blasts of his own, then he paused.

"How did she just block that?" He mused, then a rumbling noise made him glance sideways before he rocketed upwards as fast as he could, managing to dodge the slash from the longsword wielded by a galloping centaur, a slash that would have bisected him.

"Loose!"

Spinning round, Voldemort cast a shield to protect himself from the volley of arrows, only for them to pass through the shield as if it wasn't there. Only the fact he was wearing dragonskin robes saved him from being turned into a pincushion.

"What is going on here?" He growled as he flew higher to avoid the arrows, then once again, he was sent tumbling by raking talons.

.

A flicker out of the corner of his eye caused Draco to turn and look at the Entrance Hall, but there was nothing to see and he turned back to fire another salvo of spells at the attackers.

.

Luna flapped her wings for more speed as she flew down the passage that led to the Wardstone Chamber. As the door loomed ahead, she backwinged to a near-stop and then reverted, landing lightly on the ground even as she pulled her staff out of the sheath on the small of her back, a sheath that was far larger on the inside in a manner similar to her wand-holster.

Twisting one end-cap, she grinned as a slightly-curved blade appeared, one that had non-human runes running up the spine. Raising it, she swung it down so that the blade went between the two wooden doors, carving effortlessly through the magic-enhanced bar that locked it closed.

.

The tree exploded as Harry was sent flying through it. Almost half the resulting debris was further shredded as the _Obscurials_ pursued their quarry. Harry managed to slide to a halt on his feet and one hand, straightening up just in time for a tentacle of chaotic magic to slam into him, knocking him off-balance again.

.

Aberforth and Bill Weasley concentrated on holding firm as the incoming storm of spells skipped and coruscated along the edges of their shields.

"I hope… Albus… makes it…" Bill managed to state through his clenched teeth and Aberforth nodded in unwilling agreement, then suddenly an avalanche of muscle and scales rumbled past and the spellfire stopped.

"Sssusss… Potter's Basilisk." Aberforth gasped in recognition. "Damn, it's big."

"We need to help her!" Bill ran forwards even as SssSthss flinched from a spell that gouged into her flank.

"Help the giant monster. Right." Aberforth grumbled as he lurched after the Cursebreaker.

.

As the hawk that had been attacking him fell towards the ground, its feathers aflame, Voldemort finally looked down and his eyes widened.

"Damn it!" He hissed. "Half my forces, already dead… but at least I have a chance to reclaim my monster and then… _what the hell_?"

.

Draco jolted as the feel of magic around them _changed_.

"What was that?" Nott yelped.

.

"The Wards are down!"

At Amelia Bones' triumphant shout, the massed witches and wizards charged through the gates of Hogwarts or flew overhead on brooms in a cloud so dense that they seemed to block the sky.

.

"The Wards are down." Draco sighed as he saw the mob charging towards Hogwarts in a wave of spellfire that seemed to swallow Voldemort whole. "Hang on…"

Draco undid his belt and held it out.

"Everyone, take hold. This is a Portkey that I asked Gellert to make for me. I made plans for if things should go wrong. Everyone holding on? Good. _Blood Triumphs_!"

The students vanished.

.

Albus stood over the body of one who had once been his closest friend and his greatest enemy. Using his staff for support, he slowly knelt down and closed Gellert's sightless eyes.

"May you find a world that you can live peacefully in, old friend." He murmured, tears trickling down his cheeks. "And wherever you are now, know this…  
"I always loved you…  
"Always…"


	35. Consequences And Decisions

"The Wards are holding… for now." Bill Weasley reported to Headmistress MacGonogall as the other teachers and various honored guests looked on. "However, without a Wardstone, they won't last long. I'll need to recast them the day after tomorrow… if they hold that long."

"Making a Wardstone to protect Hogwarts would take at least a month." Albus noted. "Bill, if you can show me how it's done, I can probably hold the Wards in the meantime."

"At your age? Not a good idea." Bill countered. "What we need is a new Wardstone and maybe a spare, but the Gringotts Warders are booked solid for the next few months…"

"I have an idea." Filius Flitwick said. "Jorel, I need to speak with you."

" _Good afternoon, Professor Flitwick."_ Jor-El said as his image formed above the map-table.

"Can you create a new Wardstone for Hogwarts and how long would it take?"

" _Please state the Wards you wish to be included."_

.

"Help! Help!"

Auror Tonks looked at Auror Moody, who was frowning as he looked round for the source of the muffled yelling.

"Bunch of kids behind the wall." He finally stated. "Can't see the trigger-point to… oh, _that's_ clever. It's fully mechanical."

Reaching out, Moody pushed a small stone, causing it to sink into the wall and a hidden room to open, disgorging almost a dozen children.

"I thought we were going to _die_ in there!" Draco half-wailed as he staggered out. "I thought I was going to miss the game! What happened to my hair?"

.

"They've all been _Obliviated_." Moody shook his head. "I had one of the others use _Legilimancy_ on them to confirm it. They've all lost the last couple of weeks and they've had hairs taken from their heads. My guess, Gellert had some of his helpers in Hogwarts under Polyjuice, secretly setting things up for him. He always was good at planning ahead."

"That would make sense." Amelia Bones agreed ruefully. "Did Professor Snape have anything to add?"

"He noted that Draco seemed to not trust him recently, but he was shocked to discover about him being replaced." Moody admitted. "I've had the room searched and aside from an odd pile of ashes on a shelf, there's nothing there to give any clues about who they were. According to Jorel, those people, whoever they were, took a Portkey out after the Wards fell… how _did_ they fall, by the way?"

"Miss Lovegood." Amelia half-smiled. "She managed to gain access and somehow chopped it in half. I've put her forwards for an Order of Merlin, third class."

"Girl deserves it." Moody agreed.

"I've put Lord Potter forwards for one as well." Bones added. "He took on _five_ Obscurials just to make an opening for everyone else… I heard he managed to survive."

"He did." Moody confirmed. "Tonks checked for me. Apparently he's very bruised and battered, but alive and will be up again within a few days. No-one seems to know what happened to the _Obscurials_ , though. Current money is that giant snake of his ate them when it went to his rescue."

"Very good." Amelia nodded. "Carry on."

Moody stumped off and Amelia turned to look at the approaching cloaked figure.

"Is there a problem?"

"We have finished our preliminary exams of the body of Voldemort." The Unspeakable stated. "There is no doubt that it was him, his magical signature is an almost-perfect match, but the body did not start out as his."

Amelia blanched. "Then… who…?"

"Before the Possession, it was Millicent Bagnold."

"What? How is that possible?"

The Unspeakable shook his head. "We don't know… _yet_. One of our numbers thinks he might have used some kind of talisman to take her over, then transfigured her body to match his old one."

"At least I can close that case on her." Amelia sighed. "Thanks, Croaker."

"You are welcome." The leader of the Unspeakables replied, his voice grim. "I don't want _him_ to return any more than you do."

* * *

.

"Miss Granger?"

Hermione looked up from her book to see an apologetic-looking Auror.

"Sorry to intrude, but several witnesses have reported that you used an _animagus_ form."

"I did." Hermione confirmed warily. "Is this a problem?"

"Not yet." The auror shrugged, looking even more embarrassed. "But… can you please register your form within a week? Any longer than that leaves you at risk of legal action from… the more… _traditionalist_ members."

"I understand." Hermione replied. "I will go this weekend…I think Professor Flitwick will be able to accompany me."

"I will." Flitwick seemed to appear from nowhere, causing both Hermione and the Auror to jump in shock. ""Since I'll be escorting Heir Longbottom and Miss Weasley too, it won't be a problem."

* * *

.

"Sirius? What are…"

Remus waved to the five statues encased in magical protection fields and Sirius leaned back in his chair.

"Those are the _Obscurials_ that Riddle recruited. SssSthss managed to petrify them and she told me where she had left them. I collected them."

"And why do you have them here?" Remus asked. "Did you think your study needed decorating?"

Sirius shook his head, then rose and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the Teggs Nose Cavern. "No, Remus. I intend to let them live."

Remus joined Sirius in looking out of the window. "I don't follow. They're dangerous."

"Yes they are." Sirius agreed. "And given how _thoroughly_ SssSthsss petrified them, it'll take Jor-El at least four months to make a Mandrake Draught strong enough to counter it. Fortunately, they're in stasis at the moment. To them, it'll seem like no time passed."

"But…" Remus shook his head. "Okay, so you've got several months until they can be healed. You know that every Magical Government _hates Obscurials_ , right?"

Sirius nodded. "I do, but you remember that one of my ancestors was a pirate? He hid several islands from the Muggles. I've asked Jor-El to put a Switching Room on one of them and set things up."

Remus looked at Sirius quizzically. "For what?"

"For them." Sirius nodded at the statues. "Until they can grow their own food, Jor-El will have food transported to them. Water, education and other stuff will be taken care of. They'll have a happy life, far away from those who wish them ill and if we should encounter any other _Obscurials_ , then the population of the island will increase."

Remus stared at Sirius in amazement.

"What? Do I have something on my chin?"

* * *

.

_**You–Know-Who Back?** _

_**Hogwarts Captured And Liberated In A Day Of Action!** _

_Yesterday, Hogwarts was captured by forces led by the escaped prisoner  
_ _Gellert Grindelwald (former Dark Lord and scourge of Europe – see page  
_ _7 for more details) and a second wizard who claimed to be the resurrected  
_ _Dark Lord Who Must Not Be Named! At the head of a force which included  
_ _no less than_ five _Obscurials (living manifestations of corrupted magic) and  
_ _several dozen Witches and Wizards, the terrorists struck immediately after  
_ _the Ravenclaw/Slytherin game and took the entire school hostage!_

_It was only the brave actions of Animagi Luna Lovegood (White Bird) that let  
_ _the authorities learn of what had transpired. Acting with his usual energy  
_ _and decisiveness, Minister Fudge recalled Albus Dumbledore from his search  
_ _in the oriental countries to lead the quickly-assembled task force that was set  
_ _the mission of rescuing the children whom Grindlewald's forces were holding  
_ _at wandpoint!_

_The battle itself was hard-fought with Lord Potter, having escaped captivity,  
_ _taking on the Obscurials in a raging battle that flattened a large section of  
_ _the Forbidden Forest. We can only speculate as to the ferocity with which the  
_ _young Lord fought, but when all was over, it was he who walked out of the  
_ _Forest, bruised, battered and severely injured, but alive._

_Albus Dumbledore, wielding a Staff instead of a wand, engaged the Dark Lord  
_ _Grindlewald in single combat. The duel between them was one of such power  
_ _and technique that several huge craters, the soil in them fused into glass by the  
_ _sheer destructiveness of the spells used, are currently visible in what was once  
_ _the front lawn of Hogwarts Castle. Once again, the forces of good triumphed and  
_ _it was the Supreme Mugwump who emerged victorious, having finally slain his old  
_ _enemy._

_The hostages themselves were able to free each other from their dire situation  
_ _with the revelation that three of them were Animagi. Heir Neville Longbottom  
_ _(form – ape), Pureblood Witch Ginevra Weasley (form – bear) and Muggleborn  
_ _Witch Hermione Granger (form – cat) were able to use their abilities to take down  
_ _the Carrow Siblings who had been guarding them. Amicus Carrow is deceased due  
_ _to a broken neck while Alecto Carrow is in a coma. Healers at St Mungos are unable  
_ _to estimate when she might awaken to stand trial for her actions._

_However, the most important part of this is the fate of the one who claimed that he  
_ _was truly_ He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named _. Unofficial sources indicate that Grindlewald  
_ _may have used a forbidden necromantic ritual to resurrect the Dark Lord. If this is  
_ _the case, then we can only offer our heartfelt congratulations to the heroic_ _wizards  
Aberforth Dumbledore (the owner of the Hog's Head pub) and William __Weasley  
(Cursebreaker __at Gringotts) who also used Staffs, allowing them to_ _deploy spells  
that were powerful enough to halt the resurrected monster in his __tracks, stopping  
him long enough that the massed spellfire of the second wave __of rescuers could put  
an end to his (un)life._

_For her bravery in escaping and calling for aid, Luna Lovegood is being considered_ _for  
an Order of Merlin (Third Class)…_

Barty Crouch lowered the paper and scowled, then he pulled himself out of the chair that he had been sitting in. Pausing just long enough to ensure that Nagini was comfortable in her glass tank, the rock she was lounging on heated by the application of special runes, he made his way past the partially-disassembled Vanishing Cabinet and out the front door of the small mansion.

Giving the boat that was floating on the large pond a wistful look, Barty moved towards the small orchard which, due to climate-control Wards, always had at least some trees in fruit.

As he picked various fruits and berries for his tea, Barty glanced back at the mansion. Despite what the Carrows had believed, it still needed a _lot_ of work to restore it fully.

But restore it he would.

And when his Master returned once again, Barty would be waiting.

He was the hidden dagger that would someday strike at the heart of the corrupt and venal society that allowed half-bloods and mudbloods to imagine themselves the equals of their superiors.

He would be ready.

It was just a matter of time…

* * *

.

"…and… there!" Bill Weasley stepped back as the new semi-crystalline Wardstone of Hogwarts began to glow faintly from the power surging through it. "Let me check… _yes_! The Muggle Wards are already up… the others are powering up. We have a smooth takeup and I don't see any problems at the moment… looking good."

" _Thank you, Cursebreaker Weasley."_ Jor-El said as his image materialized. _"I am monitoring the Wards as we speak."_

"They do seem to be powering up faster than I expected, though." Bill noted as he waved his wand through another diagnostic spell.

" _I am routing spare magical energy from The Pottery to aid Hogwarts."_

"You can do that?" Bill blinked in surprise. "Wow. You should talk to Gringotts about that. They'd love to know how to remotely-power Wards."

" _It is currently a Family Spell."_

Bill sighed. "Oh well. Just promise me that it won't get lost. Too many Family Spells vanish as families fade away."

" _The Potter Family Spells have all been recorded."_

Bill nodded and began running another string of diagnostic charms.

"Okay. I won't ask any more about it… I may have gone slightly too far as is."

Jor-El didn't reply and Bill glanced up at the other members of the Warding team entering the room to stare in amazement at the new Wardstone.

"A multi-level Wardstone…" One of the older members breathed. "This will _revolutionize_ Warding!"

"Once we work out just how in Merlin's name it's possible." A second one groused.


	36. Recoveries

Headmistess MacGonogall rose from her chair and tapped her glass with a teaspoon. The ringing echoed across the Great Hall and everyone turned to look at her.

"I know that the events of the last week have been quite frightening for most of you." Minerva began without any preamble. "I also know what it is like to not know what is happening, what measures are being taken to protect you, the rumors that spring up in the absence of information.  
"It is time for you all to be reassured.  
"The Wards protecting us are already stable and by the end of the month, will be stronger than they have ever been before. The new Wardstone is equipped with its own protections and is encased in a spire of Spellglass, the same substance which the windows of Lord Potter's home are comprised of. Spellglass absorbs spellfire and uses it to strengthen itself _and_ the wards it is linked to. Coupled with the reinforcement runes engraved into them and the reactive defense wards around the Wardstone, it is fully protected against those who would wish to damage it.  
"The Centaurs are now equipped with shields that can deflect spellfire, making them even more capable than they were before. In addition, they have assigned one of their own as the official liaison between the Forest Herd and Hogwarts. May I take this opportunity to introduce Herd-Warrior Firenze, ambassador for the Forest Herd. In addition to his duties, he has volunteered to occasionally help out with Astronomy, Care of Magical Creatures and the areas of Divination which Professor Trelawney does not cover."

The lightly-armoured centaur in the corner nodded in what was almost a bow as a large round of applause (with the occasional cheer) filled the Great Hall. Once it had died down, MacGonogall continued.

"Professor Dumbledore is returning… as the new Transfiguration Teacher. Albus?"

Albus rose to his feet, smiling almost wistfully.

"Thank you, Minerva. Yes, I am returning, but looking back, I see that I could not devote the time to doing my many jobs as well as was required, and all three of my positions suffered as a result.  
"In my absence, Minerva has done a far better job than I could have done and she is willing to continue to do so. It is said that the hardest lesson to learn is when to step aside and let those who know what they are doing perform the tasks that need to be done. I cannot be the Headmaster that you deserve, so I step aside that you may get the Headmistress who is indeed up to the task. Please, join me in giving a big hand for Headmistress Minerva MacGonogall!"

The hall seemed to tremble under the weight of the applause and Minerva raised one hand to quieten the students down, her lips twitching as she tried to retain her stern expression.

"Thank you, Albus." She said once the hall was quiet enough for her voice to carry. "Because of Albus' other duties, I will step in to take his classes when his presence is required at the Wizengamot or the ICW, that will not be too often as the paperwork seems to breed whenever I am out of the office."

Remus' nod of unwilling agreement and resigned expression caused a wave of laughter to sweep the hall.

"After a long discussion with Head of Slytherin Severus Snape, we have decided that the result of the Ravenclaw/Slytherin match will stand, even though we are uncertain as to how many of the players were indeed who they claimed to be." Minerva resumed. "The argument that decided it was that a two-hundred point loss was far less than others that have been suffered and Slytherin may still come second."

The students on the Ravenclaw table seemed to emit an aura of smugness while the Slytherins were resigned but confident.

"I am pleased to confirm that for her actions in raising the alarm, Miss Luna Lovegood is to be awarded an Order of Merlin, Third Class, this upcoming weekend."

Minerva paused as the entire hall seemed to erupt in celebrations, some of the students using their wands to summon short-lived flocks of birds, clouds of butterflies or flashes of light as a physical counterpoint to the cheering. Luna herself appeared shocked just before she vanished under the wave of people trying to congratulate her.

"She'll be fine." Filius chuckled from where he was standing on his seat for a better view. "Heir Longbottom got there first, he'll keep her from being crushed."

As Minerva opened her mouth to ask for clarification, the growing mound suddenly seemed to bounce, then the students were pushed away by an orange-haired Ape that was half-crouched protectively over Luna.

"Oh, right. His Animagus form is an Orang-Utan." Minerva shook her head as Neville glared at everyone before resuming his human form. "Everyone, sit down!"

Once everyone was back on their benches, Minerva gave the covert hand-signal to tell the House-Elves to do their job.

"I have only one more thing to say to you all." She stated as the banquet materialized on the tables. "Help yourselves!"

.

Draco frowned at the Ravenclaws, then applied himself to claiming some of the beef stew from the tureen in front of him.

Due to his near-obsessive practice of Occlumancy, he _knew_ that he had discovered something about Potter, but the Obliviation had removed what he had learned.

Once the year had ended, he would go through the file that his father had started on Potter and which he had expanded.

He would figure out what he had learned.

Even if he had to hire a Mind-Healer to undo the Obliviation, with all the risks that such a procedure entailed.

.

"We have more Animagi students than teachers at the moment." Minerva noted almost ruefully. "Five Ravenclaw students versus three teachers."

"Given I may actually have a bit of time in the future, I do believe that I shall explore the possibility that I may be able to become one." Albus noted as he lowered his goblet. "It is the one skill of yours that I have truly envied, Minerva, but I failed the Mandrake Leaf portion of the ritual every time."

"It took _me_ three attempts." Minerva admitted. "I do believe the way that Sirius has found is far simpler than the official method. Safer, too."

""It is." Sirius interjected, showing that he had been paying attention. "There's no real chance of getting stuck halfway, it either works or it doesn't and if it doesn't, that just means you need to work on your mental discipline more."

"I remain astonished that _you_ actually had enough mental discipline to perform it." Severus snarked, earning a laughing _'oi'_ from Sirius. "You must admit, back when we were students, you were never really the studious sort."

"I agree with Severus." Remus chuckled, earning a look of betrayal from Lord Black. "All you were interested in back then were Quidditch, pranks and chasing girls."

"Good times." Sirius smiled.

"Only you could think that being hexed for trying to spy on the girls shower room was _good times_." Severus retorted.

"How did you know about _that_?" Sirius protested, then he shrank back as Minerva half-turned to glare at him. "Ummmm… it was Peter's idea! Really! Back me up, Moony! Moony? Help?"

* * *

.

Harry hid a grin as Neville sprinted into the Ravenclaw common room and promptly transformed into his animal form, swarming up the shelves and into the rafters. A split second later, a veritable flood of females charged in and paused, looking round.

"He must be in his room!" One of the girls shouted and the mob charged up the stairs.

"I think I need to move out." Neville's voice came down from above. "Maybe Hagrid'll let me use his couch."

"Why are they all after you, anyway?" Hermione asked curiously.

"It's because he proved that he was a powerful wizard." Luna replied almost absently without looking up from the copy of the _Quibbler_ that she was perusing. "He managed to outlast that wand Ward to free Hagrid _and_ he's an Animagi, something that very few magicals can achieve under normal circumstances. Add his position as Heir to the House of Longbottom and the only one here who's a better catch is _you_ … Lord Potter."

"Have a point for a perfectly-accurate summation, Miss Lovegood." Filius chuckled from the doorway leading to his office.

Harry gave his Head of House a confused look.

"So… why is it _Neville_ getting chased like that?"

"You jealous, Harry?" Neville teased from above.

"Just curious." Harry shrugged.

"Well, as an Emancipated Lord, you have legal options to either fend off would-be suitors or, should you be inclined that way, trap them in a Marriage Contract, should they try anything." Filius waved one hand. "As _Heir_ , Neville doesn't have such options, meaning that he is safer to chase."

"Huh." Harry finally managed. "I hadn't realized that. It does explain quite a bit, though."

"I think I will need to activate the gender-ward on that staircase, though." Filius mused as the girls searching for Neville returned to the Common Room, looking round for any sight of him.

"Probably a good idea." Hermione agreed.

* * *

.

Minerva tapped the top of her new desk and a variety of immaterial documents rose from it, angling so that she could read them easily. A knock on the door caught her attention.

"Enter!"

The door opened and Albus Dumbledore stepped in, pausing at the sight before him.

"Ah, Albus. How did the lesson go?"

"They were very eager to learn, Minerva." Albus smiled as he moved round for a better view. "If I may ask… I have never seen a spell like this before."

"It's not entirely a spell." Minerva said as she used a hand-movement to pull one of the projected documents into the desk, then she grabbed an inkless Quill and scrawled her signature on it.

"Print." She ordered and to one side, a box-like device whirred into life, depositing a sheet of parchment into the output hopper. A wave of her wand sent it across the office and into the filing cabinet, the drawer opening to accept the paperwork.

"How efficient!" Albus marveled. "I wonder if I could get a similar thing for my other jobs."

"You'll need to speak to someone from Evans Enterprises." Minerva said as she waved a hand to dissipate the other sheets. "So, what brings you here?"

"The Wizengamot is meeting the Thursday after next." Albus sighed.

"I'll be happy to teach the classes on that day." Minerva nodded, then she looked up. "Thursday… I assume that Lord Potter will be attending the session too?"

"As will Lord Black, but Remus will be covering his lessons that day." Albus confirmed. "Hagrid is coming as well, but Firenze will be dealing with his classes."

"Having extra teachers to pick up the slack is a great idea." Minerva noted. "Why did we not do so before?"

"Finances, mainly." Albus briefly looked every day of his age. "Between the need to keep the castle maintained, paying various expenses, the wages and running costs... not to mention trying to build up a reserve for unexpected issues… we simply could not afford it. At least until Lords Black and Potter stepped in. You know that Sirius and Remus are performing their jobs _gratis_?"

"I… didn't know." Minerva sounded surprised. "Neither of them said…"

"They wouldn't." Albus agreed with a slight smile. "They are both prone to bad jokes and pranks, but they are good people. They would not seek to make others feel bad over relative wealth."

"Sirius has definitely improved since he was a student here." Minerva admitted. "Of course, spending a decade in Azkaban would change anyone…"

"It would indeed." Albus agreed. "Well, I expect you have more paperwork to wade through, so I shall leave you to your Sysiphian task and go teach my next class of eager students."

Minerva glowered at the departing Professor.


	37. End Of Year

"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked as she looked round. "I thought he'd be joining us for the train-ride back to King's Cross."

"He and Lord Black have something that they have to deal with." Neville explained as he lugged his trunk into the compartment. "He sends his apologies, but says it's both important and secret, so he won't tell us… no matter how much you ask."

Oh." Hermione sagged slightly, then blinked as Neville pulled a box out of his trunk. "Another new game?"

"Yep. I think I may be addicted to Muggle games." Neville chuckled as Luna tapped the compartment wall with her wand in order to expand the hidden table. "So, let's play… the Game of Life!"

.

Peter groaned as he slowly woke up. For a long moment, he simply lay there, then his memory returned.

 _Fighting in the Forest against a foe who could strike back even when he was in his_ Otherform _.  
_ _The crashing of trees and the appearance of a giant monster.  
_ _A pair of yellow eyes._

"Aah!" He yelped as he sat up. "Snake!"

"That was several months ago." An amused voice stated and the young boy looked round to find the other four were in the same room as him, all sitting up on low beds while at the door…

"You!" He shouted, pointing at the shorter of the two watching them. "You're Potter!"

"I am." The boy replied with a slight smile. "And before you do anything, I am one of the ones who saved you from being executed by the Ministry."

"Where are we?" Amanda asked curiously and Peter looked round, seeing a large beach just outside the large window making up one wall.

"You are on one of the islands that my family _acquired_ over the years." The unknown man supplied. "We've created homes for you here, one for each of you and a few spare for when we find more _Obscurials_. Here, you are safe. We will not make any demands of you, but neither will we simply abandon you. However, since we have other tasks we need to perform, let me introduce the one who will help you. Kelex!"

Peter's eyes widened as what looked like the upper portion of a suit of armour floated into the room.

"This is Kelex, he's a kind of magical robot." Harry said, nodding at the new arrival. "He's worked for my family for generations and now I've put him in charge of your education and medical needs."

"Education?" James asked.

"Education." Harry confirmed. "We've set up a schoolhouse and medical bay… this is actually the classroom we're in… and your own homes will have televisions that can tune in to any station in the world, although some programs will not be available as you aren't old enough for them yet."

"What homes?" Diana asked curiously.

.

"So, now that everyone knows that you're an Animagi too, what are your plans?" Luna asked.

"Lord Black has already declared I'm under his protection, so I don't think anyone's going to try anything to get me in trouble." Hermione replied as she reached out to spin the spinner in the middle of the board. "And since we have over a dozen Animagi at Hogwarts… almost two-dozen with most of the teachers now having animal forms, I don't think the Ministry will be able to clamp down on it any longer. As for my plans? Well, not much. You know, you two could always come for a sleepover. It'd be fun."

"Spending the night in a Muggle house?" Ginny perked up. "Yes please!"

"I've got quite a bit of training to do at home." Neville said as he moved his car, landing on a Payday space. "Dad wants me fully trained so that once I've got my NEWTS, I can take over as Acting Lord Longbottom for several months, allowing him and mum to go on the long romantic holiday that they promised themselves. After how Gran tried to turn me into Frank Longbottom Junior, they don't really trust her any more."

Neville looked up and caught the looks that they were giving him.

"Oh no, nothing like _that_. She's apologized and she's still family, but between her mistakes and the fact she's starting to grow absent-minded… she agreed with it. So, I'll be getting more lessons in Politics and Etiquette over the summer, but if you don't mind, I may pop over occasionally."

"That would be fine." Hermione smiled.

* * *

.

Draco sat down in the chair that his father had once used, putting the folder marked _Harry Potter_ on the desk in front of him. Opening it, he stared at the letter facing him, a letter that was in his own handwriting, but which he had no memory of writing.

* * *

_Hello, future-me._

_If you are reading this, then the coup failed but the plan I had in place to prevent us being convicted of aiding the Dark Lord has worked. It has, however, cost us one of Father's Self-Obliviate devices, but that is a small price to pay._

_In the Drawer (and you know which one that is) you will find some numbered vials that will explain everything and return your memories._

_I would write more, but time is short._

_Good luck, future-me._

_Draco Malfoy._

_P.S. Check the Riddle file too._

* * *

Draco read through the letter three more times, then he carefully returned it to the folder. Reaching down, he tapped two otherwise-inconspicuous decorations on the desk and a small drawer popped out, one which had six vials in it. Picking up the first vial, he carefully unstoppered it, then used his wand to transfer the silvery memory inside to his forehead.

" _So, what may I do for you, young dragon?" Grindlewald asked jovially._

" _I suspect I may need a Portkey." Draco answered, holding out his belt. "I have one that will take me to my home, but getting back could be problematic and I do not know_ how _to make Portkeys, especially ones that will carry me through the Wards that you and the Dark Lord have planned."_

" _Of course." Gellert nodded. "Where should it reappear? And do you want me to update your other Portkey so it can traverse the Wards too?"_

" _That would be very useful, sir. Thank you"_

Draco blinked as the memory settled into his mind. "Odd. Why did I not ask the Dark Lord?"

For a few moments, he pondered the problem, then picked up the second vial.

Hopefully this one would explain to him just what his plan had been.

* * *

.

"Wow." Mark breathed as he looked at the [Bubblehouse](https://www.deviantart.com/honorablebaldy/art/Bubblehouse-Plans-711304206) that would be his home. The entire building was a sphere, half-buried in the ground, with a spiral staircase forming the center.

"The kitchen area is there, bathroom is through the doorway just to the left of the stairs, you have a TV on that wall and the upstairs is your bedroom and study area. The basement is currently for storage, but if you want to turn that into your bedroom instead, we can get it done." Sirius pointed to each area. "Window control panel is just here for downstairs and by the balcony door upstairs, you can set it to change at certain times of day if you wish. All systems are hooked up and you can order anything you want. You know, books, clothes, furniture, bedding, so on and so forth. Take a look round, I've got to go now."

Mark barely spared the departing Wizard a glance as he hurried to the central stairs, eager to see what he new bedroom looked like.

* * *

.

" _Blood adopted_?" Draco snarled in shock. "Potter was _Blood Adopted_?"

The last of the vials lay empty on his desk and Draco glared at the inoffensive items, then he started to chuckle.

"Well, well, well. It would seem that Potter's Family Magic may not actually be from the Potters at all. But if he was adopted, what happened to the real Harry Potter? Lily Potter _was_ pregnant… wasn't she?"

Rising from his chair, he moved to the filing cabinet and pulled out the file marked _Lily Potter_. Sitting back down, he opened it and leafed through the pages and pictures inside.

"Wand… OWL grades… NEWT grades… she was _what_? Childhood friends with… huh. Married… medical! Here we… how did you get _those_ pictures, dad? Who did you have in St Mungo's… and are they still there?"

Turning another page, Draco paused.

"Here we are. Pregnancy confirmed by Healer Smithwick, one boy. No medical issues noted… so what happened? Hm, what's this note? _Despite a successful casting, the spell apparently failed to induce Stillbirth and Sterility in Lily Potter, reason unknown. In most recent public appearance, L shows no sign of depression as would be caused by stillbirth and H seems healthy and quite large for being only half a year old._ "

Draco leaned back, steepling his fingers in thought.

With the revelation that Potter had been Blood Adopted, the question arose of how they had found an infant to take the place of their would-be trueborn son. A touch of _Obliviation_ would explain why Lily Potter had not been grieving for her lost child, she probably had no idea that he had been anything but the fruit of her womb.

It must have been James Potter who performed the ritual, he had been a Pureblood with all the usual knowledge that such a position implied.

But did the others know?

Did Pettigrew know? And if he did, why hadn't he told the Dark Lord?

* * *

.

"The _Obscurials_ are settling in on the Island." Sirius announced as he strode out of the Switching Room and into the Pottery where Harry was waiting to hear from him. "Thanks for donating Kelex to keep watch over them, a House Elf wouldn't cut it, I don't know _any_ Wizards or Witches that wouldn't be missed and whom I could trust not to attack them… it would have been a real problem."

"Always happy to help." Harry grinned.

"Out of interest, just _how_ did you beat them in the first place?"

"I didn't." Harry admitted, his mind flashing back to his desperate battle. "I could probably have taken one of them on and won, perhaps two, but five? All I could do was distract them long enough for everyone else to do what needed doing. If SssSthss hadn't come to my aid and Petrified them, I'd probably be back in the Medical Pod."

"Remind me to buy her a couple of extra cows." Sirius grinned. "I'm glad that she saved you. After all, you are my favorite Godson."

"I'm your _only_ Godson."

"Proof that you're my favorite." Sirius shot back instantly, causing Harry to laugh. "Now, if you'll pardon me, Remus and I have some interesting belts and bracers to examine."

* * *

.

Draco stared in horror at the file in front of him.

"He… he intended to… to possess _me_?" He choked. "Merlin damn-it! Why in Morgana's name did past-me not include that in the memories?"

The Parchment failed to answer his semi-rhetorical question and Dracoturned the page, then paused.

" _The one with the power to defeat the Dark Lord…_ " He read. "Huh, looks like Trelawney _is_ a Seer after all. I didn't see that coming. But if Potter's Blood Adopted, then how could he be born… wait. Could it have been _borne_? _Carried_ to those who have… and that would mean that… approaches. It still fits."

Draco slowly closed the file and leaned back in his chair.

"Could Jorel have been the one to carry him to the Potters? There was no sign of a Potter Guardian Spirit _before_ Potter returned from the Muggle World… in fact, there's _never_ been a Guardian Spirit like Jorel… I need to consider this."

.

.

* * *

.

.

* * *

.

.

The figure in the shadows unsheathed the short dagger, then proffered it to the other figure.

"Taken from the corpse of Gellert Grindlewald. I trust it will do?"

"Indeed it will, Mr Fletcher." The pink-clad witch nodded as she accepted the dagger and its sheath. "The charges will vanish. I suggest you do the same for a month or so."

"Yes, Undersecretary Umbridge." Mundungus Fletcher genuflected as he slipped out from behind the table and quickly scooted out of The Immaculate Line. Umbridge watched him leave, then turned back to look at the dagger in her hands.

"You had the right idea, Grindlewald." She whispered possessively. "Soon, I will find a way to create the perfect world that you wanted, one where the Muggles and Mudbloods serve their betters."

Tucking the dagger into her inner robe pocket, she rose from her chair and departed.


End file.
